Twelve-year-old Casey Snowden knows everything about being an umpire. His dad and grandfather run a New Jersey umpire school, Behind the Plate, and Casey lives and breathes baseball. Casey's dream, however, is to be a reporter--objective, impartial, and fair, just like an ump. But when he stumbles upon a sensational story involving a former major league player in exile, he finds that the ethics of publishing it are cloudy at best. This emotionally charged coming-of-age novel about baseball, divorce, friendship, love, and compassion challenges its readers to consider all the angles before calling that strike.
It's the scoop of a lifetime. But what's the right call when the truth hurts everyone he cares about?
- Finding Your Own Path: Casey has always dreamed of being a reporter, but when he uncovers a huge secret at his family's umpire school, he has to decide what kind of person he wants to become.
- A Father and Son Story: Set against the fascinating backdrop of professional baseball, this novel explores the powerful bonds between a son, his dad, and his grandfather.
- Journalism Ethics: When the lines between right and wrong blur, Casey must navigate the ethics of telling a story that could ruin a man's life while making his own career.
- A Book About Divorce: On top of everything else, Casey is navigating the emotional fallout of his parents' divorce and his mother's sudden return into his life.
About the Author :
Audrey Vernick is a baseball aficionado and author of the popular picture book Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team. Her middle grade debut was Water Balloon. She lives with her family in Ocean, New Jersey. Visit her website at www.audreyvernickcom.
Review :
a JLG selection "A strike is a strike, a ball is a ball. But what happens when the rules aren't so clear? You may scream at umpires, but you'll cheer and whoop for a kiddo who's trying with all his heart and guts to find a right way."
--Gary Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist "Screaming at the Ump will make kids cheer! Baseball fans will love these funny, heart-warming characters, and the unique view of the game from behind the plate."
--Tim Green, New York Times bestselling author of Baseball Great and Best of the Best "This novel is a true original. If you've never read about umpire's school before (and, seriously, who has?) you're going to enjoy this book. Vernick's writing is funny, poignant, and especially wise when it comes to dispelling the preconceived notions we sometimes cling to." --Todd Strasser, internationally bestselling author of The Wave, Fallout, and other titles
"Vernick laces her tale with humor, plus credible insights into the truly difficult art and techniques of umpiring, as she leads her aspiring journalist to make some good choices in the wake of a realization that people (parents included) should have more than one chance to get their calls right."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Multiple threads come together in a well-crafted way when Casey realizes the same skills an umpire needs--being objective and fair, knowing the rules, and being int he right spot to make the call--also apply to becoming a good journalist and healing his broken relationship with his mother."
--Publishers Weekly
"It's the peek into the world of professional umpire training that carries the interest here, culminating in the fictional but tantalizing event, You Suck, Ump! Day, in which students perform under intense pressure of a local crowd recruited to heckle them on the field."
--Bulletin
"Believable characters, fast-paced action, ample dialogue, Casey's first-person voice, and great descriptions of Zeke's hyperactivity make this a probable home run for lots of middle-schoolers."
--Booklist Online
"A solid choice for middle-grade readers."
--School Library Journal
