The Bat Boy and His ViolinPaperback, 1 January 2001

A young aspiring violinist learns the value of family ties and team spirit in this picture book lushly illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner E.B. Lewis about a down-on-their-luck baseball team and the music that turns their season around.

Reginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a "fiddler," and traveling with the Dukes doesn't leave Reginald much time for practicing.

Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach--and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. Has Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck--and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs?