Books with author John H. Ritter

From Publishers Weekly: Set during Prohibition, Ritter's debut novel features a rural Kentucky dialect and a sympathetic hero "stuck smack between two worlds." Luke Bledsoe's conflicts with his father, a volatile fundamentalist preacher, take on a new dimension when the seventh-grade southpaw discovers his pitching power. Classmates who have seen Luke accidentally throw with what his father calls "the Devil's arm" urge Luke to join the local baseball team, but Luke's left-handedness is not the only trouble: participation in sports is strictly forbidden by his church. The narrator is strongly tempted to side with "wild-as-a-witch-dog" Uncle Micah, another lefty, who encourages his nephew to follow his own natural course. Luke's movement toward independence is realistically cautious but frustratingly slow?until his father's accidental death brings a quick turn of events and tidy solution to problems. Criticisms of religious taboos and narrow-mindedness are hurled as forcefully as Luke's fastball. More artful, subtle expression may be found in the author's depiction of local color and metaphors mostly having to do with fishing and hunting. Despite its somewhat didactic tone, this story offers enough curve balls to keep readers engaged. Ages 10-14. Recipient of the 1999 International Reading Association's "Children's Book Award." Named an American Library Association "Best Book for Young Adults." Named a 1999 "Blue Ribbon Book" by The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

BONUS FEATURE: Includes an exclusive interview with the author and original music by John H. Ritter!Andy Ramos, a freestyle skate-boarding trumpeter, has dreams as big as a baseball moon. Born into a family of musicians, Andy wants to take his unique fusion of Latin jazz, rock, and hip-hop straight to the top. But when he crosses paths with Glory Martinez, a softball pitcher who has Olympian dreams of her own, the mysterious fusion of their athletic and musical skills changes everything. Or is that due to the elegant, but eerie, man in black? He promises fame and fortune. Can he deliver? And just how far is Andy willing to go to find out?

The exciting prequel to the bestselling The Boy Who Saved Baseball. The fate of a Wild West gold-mining town rests in the hands of two individuals. One is a twelve-yearold boy with a love and instinct for baseball unmatched by any grown-up. The other is the country?s most infamous outlaw, on the run and looking for peace of mind. Together, they pair up to prove that heroes can emerge from anywhere. John H. Ritter brings the Old West to life in this prequel to his breakout success, The Boy Who Saved Baseball.

Excerpt from Book of Mock Trials: Containing Fourteen Original Plays, Representing Humorous Court-Room Scenes, Adapted to the Limits of the Parlor, and Arranged for Public or Private PerformancesThese Mock Trials are founded on actual occurrences in the courts of this country. Playwright's license has been taken where strict compliance with the rigid rules Of court procedure would be tedious and dry. There are no mere extravaganzas in this book. Sharp Satire on American court methods and manners is the substance into which is worked an amount and variety Of fun and mock-heroic humor (seldom overdrawn) that no previous collection of short plays affords. Each trial differs from the othets'in the prominence given to Judge, Attorneys or Witnesses, and the characters are not reproduced. NO similar book of any worth whatever has been Offered to the public, and we do not doubt that the merits Of these Mock Trials will be speedily recognized.We need hardly say that it may Often be advantageous to vary a trial from the form given in the book, by omit ting Or adding matter, Shortening parts, etc., etc. This, Of course, must be left entirely to the intelligence and inven tion Of those who are cast as performers, or of some one qualified for that task. The amusement of the audience is Often greatly increased by local allusions.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.