The Bambino and Me

The last few weeks I've stopped at the library on my way home and picked up a stack of books to read with my youngest daughter.  We have enjoyed having a few new things to read together and I have been able to preview some books that I will order for my school library this way.

The Bambino and Me by Zachary Hyman is a great historical fiction read.  George is a huge baseball fan. He listens to games on the radio because his family doesn't have much money - it's George's dream to actually attend a Yankees game and see his favorite player, Babe Ruth, in action.  When he receives tickets to a game for his birthday, he is overjoyed.  However, his happiness is short-lived.  When he opens the gift his uncle has sent him he discovers a Boston Red Sox jersey and cap that his parents insist he will wear to the baseball game.

George is no longer looking forward to the game, feeling like a traitor.  However, he still attends, and George is happily surprised by his major league game experience.

Zachary Pullen's illustrations are fantastic and I loved the full page pictures that added to the story. I could almost hear George's mother yelling at him while looking at the full page picture of her with her mouth open!

My eight year old (who is not a baseball fan) liked this story as well. She enjoyed that although George was a fictional character, the descriptions of life at this time and Babe Ruth were factual.  She has also been studying personal narratives at school, and The Bambino and Me nicely fits into that category, which excited her a bit. 

This one might not be for young (pre-k and k) readers- there is quite a bit of text, but The Bambino and Me should appeal to a large audience and would be a great read aloud even for middle school teachers who are looking for a mentor text to use.