#114 Hothead

As is probably obvious by the number of sports books I review, I love sports! It is especially fun to find a book written by a professional, such as this one by baseball all-star Cal Ripken, Jr. I always figure that when an author like this gives the "low-down" on the game, it is probably about as realistic as it could possibly be. This happens to be Ripken's first book, and one that I enjoyed immensely.

Connor Sullivan is the all-star shortstop on the Orioles, his Babe Ruth team. He is a leader in hitting and fielding, and baseball is the biggest thing in his life. That life is pretty shaky, however, because there are some family issues that are really causing concern for Connor, and that concern is changing the way he reacts to stress.

Connor has become a hothead: Mt. Vesuvius, to be exact. When he strikes out or makes an error he slams his glove, throws things, and walks off the field. He even yells at his best friend, Jordy, and the coach is ready to kick Connor off the team.

One of his classmates (a girl!) works on the school paper and has decided to do a big story on Connor. Should her story be about his athletic performance though, or should she do a big story on his tantrums? She even has the pictures and video highlights of those.

There is definitely a lot of baseball in this book, but it offers a lot more than that. So, whether you are a baseball fan or not, check this one out!