Books with title An Almost Perfect Game

The Little League World Series is within reach Two weeks of intense competition remain to decide the final teams for the Little League World Series. This year, the anticipation is high as it's possible that both of the previous final two teams will return, a very rare occurrence. And those are the teams Carter and Liam now play for! These two players, one from each team, are thinking the same thought: How can I play against my best friend? Join Liam and Carter as they work their way to the Little League World Series in this thrilling series.

From the author of Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! . . . What if you and your scorecard could control the biggest baseball game of the year?There's a wild, weird night of baseball in store for Nottingham Shoppers fan Jake Kratzer. The pennant is on the line, and it's do or die for his favorite team. When Jake takes his place in the stands, he's only hoping for a Shoppers win, a few good hot dogs, and maybe a Fan Appreciation Night prize to top it off.But when Jake starts marking plays on his scorecard, strange things begin to happen on the field. It seems to him that with a few strokes of his pencil, he can control the game.Or can he? Jake can't quite figure out why some of his dream plays come true, while others backfire miserably. Can Jake figure out the card's secret in time to lead the Shoppers to victory and help his favorite player make baseball history? Or will the game find a way to throw him one of its classic spitballs?Praise for An Almost Perfect Game!"A valentine to a game that was, and could be again, almost perfect. . . . Manes deftly slips readers into the stands, recreating the authentic flavor of a minor league ball game. . . . Funny incidents and one-liners sparkle throughout . . ."--Kirkus Reviews"Manes captures the experience of a family sharing its love and knowledge of baseball and makes it easy to follow the play-by-play action. Filled with baseball lore and jargon, this will appeal to young fans of the game . . ."--Booklist"These tales are hits . . . What baseball fan hasn't sat in front of the TV or in the stands, wishing for the power to change the outcome of the game?"--Associated Press"An Almost Perfect Game puts an imaginative twist on one child's love of our national pastime."--Boston Globe"An easy-to-read mix of fantasy and baseball that is sure to appeal to many sports-oriented readers."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"Manes wonderfully evokes minor-league baseball at its most irrepressible, and the witty, first-person narration helps to carry the story along. For enthusiasts of the sport with a taste for a little fantasy, this will be just the ticket."--School Library Journal

Baseball and basketball action abound in this Sports Story Series book from Washington Post KidsPost columnist and author Fred Bowen – perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.“Perfect Game is about the important lessons sports can teach: How to play for the love of the game.” ―Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Board, Special OlympicsWhen he volunteers with a team of developmentally disabled players, Isaac learns the true meaning of a “perfect” game.Isaac is determined to pitch a perfect game: no hits, no runs, no walks, and no errors. He can’t settle for less if he wants to make the summer all-star team. But when he allows a hit, Isaac keeps losing his cool on the mound and can’t get his head back in the game.Then Issac meets a very interesting Unified Sports basketball player who gets him thinking in a different way about the whole idea of a “perfect” game. But will this change in perspective help him be a better pitcher?Themes of kindness, friendship, perfection, and ability star in this inspiring installment of Fred Bowen’s Sports Story Series.Discussion Guide available.

This winner of the first Stonewall Award for Children’s & Young Adult Literature will make you marvel at the beauty of human connection and the irrepressible nature of love. Everyone has that one line they swear they’ll never cross, the one thing they say they’ll never do. We draw the line. Maybe we even believe it. Sage Hendricks was my line. Logan Witherspoon befriends Sage Hendricks at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. He's drawn to Sage, with her constant smile and sexy voice, and his feelings for her grow so strong that he can’t resist kissing her. Sage finally discloses a big secret: she was born a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at her–a reaction he soon desperately wishes he could take back. Once his anger cools, Logan is filled with incredible regret, and all he wants is to repair his friendship with Sage. But it’s hard to replace something that’s been broken—and it’s even harder to find your way back to friendship when you began with love. *** “Tackles issues of homophobia, hate crimes and stereotyping with humor and grace in an accessible tone that will resonate with teens.” –Kirkus Reviews “It is Sage's story that is truly important.” –SLJ “Teens—both those familiar with transgender issues and those who are not—will welcome the honest take on a rarely explored subject.” –Booklist “A sensitive examination of the seldom treated subject of transgender teens.” –VOYA

What if you and your scorecard could control the biggest baseball game of the year? There's a wild, weird night of baseball in store for Nottingham Shoppers fan Jake Kratzer. The pennant is on the line, and it's do or die for his favorite team. When Jake takes his place in the stands, he's only hoping for a Shoppers win, a few good hot dogs, and maybe a Fan Appreciation Night prize to top it off. But when Jake starts marking plays on his scorecard, strange things begin to happen on the field. It seems to him that with a few strokes of his pencil, he can control the game. Or can he? Jake can't quite figure out why some of his dream plays come true, while others backfire miserably. Can Jake figure out the card's secret in time to lead the Shoppers to victory and help his favorite player make baseball history? Or will the game find a way to throw him one of its classic spitballs? Praise for An Almost Perfect Game! A valentine to a game that was, and could be again, almost perfect. . . . Manes deftly slips readers into the stands, recreating the authentic flavor of a minor league ball game. . . . Funny incidents and one-liners sparkle throughout . . . --Kirkus Reviews Manes captures the experience of a family sharing its love and knowledge of baseball and makes it easy to follow the play-by-play action. Filled with baseball lore and jargon, this will appeal to young fans of the game . . . --Booklist These tales are hits . . . What baseball fan hasn't sat in front of the TV or in the stands, wishing for the power to change the outcome of the game? --Associated Press An Almost Perfect Game puts an imaginative twist on one child's love of our national pastime. --Boston Globe An easy-to-read mix of fantasy and baseball that is sure to appeal to many sports-oriented readers. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Manes wonderfully evokes minor-league baseball at its most irrepressible, and the witty, first-person narration helps to carry the story along. For enthusiasts of the sport with a taste for a little fantasy, this will be just the ticket. --School Library Journal

Kate McGregor and her best friend Holly Chapman share the same dream. They want to qualify for the annual Festival of Horses where scouts from the United States Equestrian Team will be on the lookout for promising young riders.Pushed by her relentless mother, Angela Dean has the same dream, which means the girls are locked in a fierce competition to determine who will represent Timber Ridge at the next qualifying horse show. But when Mrs. Dean storms into action, Kate’s dream takes an unexpected tumble.To make matters worse, Angela’s new best friend is moving to Timber Ridge and she can’t wait to join Angela’s vendetta against Kate. Except that now, Angela’s got her claws into Holly as well.

This winner of the first Stonewall Award for Children’s & Young Adult Literature will make you marvel at the beauty of human connection and the irrepressible nature of love. Everyone has that one line they swear they’ll never cross, the one thing they say they’ll never do. We draw the line. Maybe we even believe it. Sage Hendricks was my line. Logan Witherspoon befriends Sage Hendricks at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. He's drawn to Sage, with her constant smile and sexy voice, and his feelings for her grow so strong that he can’t resist kissing her. Sage finally discloses a big secret: she was born a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at her–a reaction he soon desperately wishes he could take back. Once his anger cools, Logan is filled with incredible regret, and all he wants is to repair his friendship with Sage. But it’s hard to replace something that’s been broken—and it’s even harder to find your way back to friendship when you began with love. *** “Tackles issues of homophobia, hate crimes and stereotyping with humor and grace in an accessible tone that will resonate with teens.” –Kirkus Reviews “It is Sage's story that is truly important.” –SLJ “Teens—both those familiar with transgender issues and those who are not—will welcome the honest take on a rarely explored subject.” –Booklist “A sensitive examination of the seldom treated subject of transgender teens.” –VOYA

What if you and your scorecard could control the biggest baseball game of the year? There's a wild, weird night of baseball in store for Nottingham Shoppers fan Jake Kratzer. The pennant is on the line, and it's do or die for his favorite team. When Jake takes his place in the stands, he's only hoping for a Shoppers win, a few good hot dogs, and maybe a Fan Appreciation Night prize to top it off. But when Jake starts marking plays on his scorecard, strange things begin to happen on the field. It seems to him that with a few strokes of his pencil, he can control the game. Or can he? Jake can't quite figure out why some of his dream plays come true, while others backfire miserably. Can Jake figure out the card's secret in time to lead the Shoppers to victory and help his favorite player make baseball history? Or will the game find a way to throw him one of its classic spitballs? Praise for An Almost Perfect Game! A valentine to a game that was, and could be again, almost perfect. . . . Manes deftly slips readers into the stands, recreating the authentic flavor of a minor league ball game. . . . Funny incidents and one-liners sparkle throughout . . . --Kirkus Reviews Manes captures the experience of a family sharing its love and knowledge of baseball and makes it easy to follow the play-by-play action. Filled with baseball lore and jargon, this will appeal to young fans of the game . . . --Booklist These tales are hits . . . What baseball fan hasn't sat in front of the TV or in the stands, wishing for the power to change the outcome of the game? --Associated Press An Almost Perfect Game puts an imaginative twist on one child's love of our national pastime. --Boston Globe An easy-to-read mix of fantasy and baseball that is sure to appeal to many sports-oriented readers. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Manes wonderfully evokes minor-league baseball at its most irrepressible, and the witty, first-person narration helps to carry the story along. For enthusiasts of the sport with a taste for a little fantasy, this will be just the ticket. --School Library Journal

The Little League World Series is within reach Two weeks of intense competition remain to decide the final teams for the Little League World Series. This year, the anticipation is high as it's possible that both of the previous final two teams will return, a very rare occurrence. And those are the teams Carter and Liam now play for! These two players, one from each team, are thinking the same thought: How can I play against my best friend? Join Liam and Carter as they work their way to the Little League World Series in this thrilling series.

Isaac learns the true meaning of a perfect game when he volunteers with a team of developmentally disabled playersIsaac is determined to pitch a perfect game: no hits, no runs, no walks, and no errors. If he does, he’s sure to make the summer all-star team. But Isaac keeps losing his cool on the mound; he just can’t get his head back in the game. Then he meets a very interesting Unified Sports basketball player who gets him thinking in a different way about the whole idea of “perfect.” But will this help him be a better pitcher?

Series: Timber Ridge Riders—Book SixAges: 9–13Kate McGregor and her best friend Holly Chapman share the same dream. They want to qualify for the annual Festival of Horses where scouts from the United States Equestrian Team will be on the lookout for promising young riders.Pushed by her relentless mother, Angela Dean has the same dream, which means the girls are locked in a fierce competition to determine who will represent Timber Ridge at the next qualifying horse show. But when Mrs. Dean storms into action, Kate’s dream takes an unexpected tumble.To make matters worse, Angela’s new best friend is moving to Timber Ridge and she can’t wait to join Angela’s vendetta against Kate. Except that now, Angela’s got her claws into Holly as well.

At the end of his senior year in high school, Kirk McIntyre is determined to pitch a perfect game -- for himself and for his brother. A tragic farming accident a year and a half earlier made Kirk a feel good story heading into the high school baseball playoffs, but all he is focused on is finishing the game. Four-Star Review (C. Gillette) - "Little did I know the story was about a whole lot more than that. Perfect Game is the perfect package, a well-told story with heart and a twist that will leave you shaking your head and wondering how you missed that perfectly thrown fast ball. Nothing in life is perfect, but Perfect Game comes close."Five-Star Review (C. Winemiller) -- ""Perfect Game" is a great summer read, whether you're a baseball fan or not. Swardstrom is an engaging story-teller whose style is a unique mashup of genres."This is a short story which also includes an excerpt of his new novel Dead Sleep, available for Kindle starting July 1, 2013About the Author: Will Swardstrom is a high school social studies teacher in Southern Illinois. Previously working in radio and newspaper, he turned his attention to teaching five years ago, but always had a desire to write a book someday. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Sarah, for 13 years and has one daughter, two cats and a very high-maintenance dog. This is his first published work. His debut novel, Dead Sleep (http://amzn.com/B00DQ33IBG), has also been published, as well as a Silo Saga novella, The Veil (http://amzn.com/B00E1R390Q) and another short story, Ant Apocalypse (http://amzn.com/B00F7E77WS).