WALTER STEPS UP TO THE PLATE — Review & Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Writing fiction takes me out of time. I sit down and the clock will not exist for me for a few hours. That’s probably as close to immortal as we’ll ever get.”
~ David Foster Wallace ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I don’t use a lot of flashbacks, and I haven’t seen many posts about using them. HERE is a short, but good, post from Alison Williams Writing on that topic.

You know I love Janice Hardy, and now she has little “nuggets” that are quick and helpful. HERE is one on cutting words, one I really need!

This is short but worth your while. HERE Scott Eagan from Greyhaus Literary Agency tells us What Agents/Editors Really Look For.

I am having a super busy day, so I have neither the time nor the energy to write much. I will give you some puns instead of punditry. No groaning, please.

A sweater I bought was picking up static electricity, so I returned it
 to the store.
They gave me another one free of charge.


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I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon.
I’ll let you know.


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My friend accused me of stealing her thesaurus. 
Not only was I shocked, but I was appalled, aghast, and dismayed.


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Guess who I bumped into on my way to get my glasses fixed? 
Everybody.


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Saw a man standing on one leg at an ATM.
Confused, I asked him what he was doing…
He said: “Just checking my balance.”


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Two antennas got married.
The wedding was ok. But the reception was incredible.


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I hate my job. All I do is crush cans all day.
It’s just… Soda pressing.


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I figured out why Teslas are so expensive.
It’s because they charge a lot.


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My friend David had his ID stolen…
I now call him Dav


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The CEO of IKEA was just elected Prime Minister of Sweden.
The first thing he’ll do is to assemble his cabinet.

I mentioned last week that Jennifer Bohnhoff arranged for me to receive two baseball-themed middle-grade historical novels. The first, THE BATBOY AND THE UNBREAKABLE RECORD by Robert Skead is going to Pete Springer, the winner of this week’s drawing. Congratulations, Pete! If you don’t know Pete, he is a former elementary school teacher and an aspiring children’s author. You can read more about him and follow his very informative blog HERE. Thanks for always reading and commenting, Pete. I appreciate it.

The second book I received is the one I will tell you about (and give to one of you) today. WALTER STEPS UP TO THE PLATE by Sue Houser is a lovely, old-fashioned story of a boy’s love for his mother. This isn’t something we find often enough in middle-grade fiction, but kids really do love their parents and most would do anything for them.

It is 1927, and 12-year-old Walter is looking forward to a summer of fun, which, in his mind, means seeing as many Chicago Cubs games as possible. Walter meets his dad at Wrigley Field to see a game and is surprised when his mother doesn’t come. This is the day Walter gets the bad news. His mother has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Walter is so scared for her. His father tells Walter that his mom needs to go to the desert, and that the climate will help her get well. Walter will have to go with Mom to help take care of her. He would rather stay in Chicago and be with his buddies going to games, but of course, he will do what is best for Mom. They leave for Albuquerque, New Mexico soon after, where they will stay with Dad’s brother and his family. Walter is hopeful that Mom will get well soon, and they will be able to return home, but that is not what happens. It’s so hard for Walter to be so far away from his father, to see his mother so ill and not getting better, and to live with people he doesn’t really know in a town that doesn’t even have a baseball team.

Sue Houser has written a story that will transport readers to another time and place while giving them a good picture of the toll a parent’s illness can take on a family and, especially, on a young boy. Her writing is lovely, and it is clear she has done her homework to give such a clear picture of life in 1926 in two such disparate places. Young readers will be instantly engaged by Walter’s crisis and will stay engaged as he finds ways to contribute in meaningful ways. This is a terrific read.

I have a gently-read paperback copy for one of you. All you need to do is be a follower (it’s free and easy — see the top, right corner of the post) with a U. S. Address, and leave a comment. If you share the link to this post on social media, please let me know in your comment, and you will get extra chances. And please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.