"Laugh-out-loud fun...A winner in every way." --Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)
"Funny and good-hearted." --Publishers Weekly
A boy who loves baseball must get past his hard-working immigrant
parents--and the rhino in the outfield--to become a batboy in this
laugh-out-loud middle grade novel in the tradition of The Sandlot.
Nick wants to change his life. For twelve years, he's done what his
hard-working, immigrant parents want him to do. Now he's looking for his
own American dream and he thinks he's found it. The local baseball team
is having a batboy contest, and Nick wants to win.
But the contest is on a Saturday--the day Nick has to work in his
father's shop. There's one other tiny--well, not so tiny--problem. A
2,000-pound rhinoceros named Tank. Nick and his friends play ball in the
city zoo--and Tank lives just beyond the right field fence. Nick's
experience getting the ball out of Tank's pen has left him frozen with
fear whenever a fly ball comes his way. How's a lousy fielder going to
win the contest?
Nick practices every day with his best friend, Ace, and a new girl who
has an impressive throwing arm! But that's not enough--to get to the
contest, Nick has to lie to his parents and blackmail his uncle. All
while dodging the school bully, who's determined to win even by playing
dirty. Nick will need to keep his eye on the ball in this fast, funny
story about a game that can throw you some curveballs--just like life!
