Catcher with a Glass Arm

by Matt Christopher

A young baseball player struggles to overcome his fear of a pitched ball, improve his throwing, and somehow redeem himself in the eyes of his teammates.

Genres: Sports, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Baseball

138 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they're looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. He is the best-selling author of more than one hundred sports books for young readers.

Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.

"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.

Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.

After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.

I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.

Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.

I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.

Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."

Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.

Reviews

[Trevor Wetzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book “Catcher with a Glass Arm” by Matt Christopher is about a middle school baseball player named Jody. He plays catcher for his team but struggles with his throwing to bases. Because of this, opposing teams steal on him a lot and cause him to make many errors. During one of the games early in the season, a parent from the opposing team yells out, “Steal on him! That catcher has a glass arm!” This scene gives the story its title and is the main plot behind the story. Jody’s throwing eventually gets so bad that the coach benches him and puts Rabbit Foote in at catcher. This makes Jody feel bad about himself and forces him to do something about it. He finds a good friend in Mr. Myers, who helps him with his hitting and throwing. Jody’s overall play improves greatly and, at the end of the season, it all pays off. Jody makes big plays in the last couple games and helps send the team to the playoffs. I believe that the theme of the story is that when you work hard for something, good things will happen.

The main character of the story is Jody. Jody is an average sized boy who loves to play baseball. He expects the best out of himself and is upset when he doesn’t perform. When he isn’t doing his best, he works hard to make himself better so it does not happen again. He shows a great amount of dedication and pride in what he does.

The setting of the story takes place in a small town during the 1970’s. The setting is hardly ever described throughout the story because it does not play a large role in the story. The author puts no effort into the setting, but the story is still very enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to any reader at a middle school reading level or higher. The book is very easy to read and is very enjoyable. Any baseball fan or player would love to read this book because of the amount of gameplay involved in it. The book is very well written.

[Quentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was suspenseful, but it was very good. The story is about a catcher who doesn't throw the ball to his potiential, but later in the book he has to make a crucial throw to win a playoff game. I recommend this book.

[kohle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the “Catcher with a glass arm” Jody is a good catcher but he is missing something. His arm isn't where it needs to be. After Jody was hit by a pitch he develops a fear for the baseball. Jody is my favorite because he catches just like me and fights his fear to get back on the diamond. He goes to lessons about his fear and works towards getting back out there.

I can relate to Jody and his story of getting back on the baseball diamond. When I fractured my thumb I thought it would be a while before I got back out there, but I worked and made a speedy recovery and was back before the next tournament. I was hit hit a 85 mph fastball that I caught wrong. It thrusted thumb back to where I could touch my hand. I felt like I would get back on the field but I was scared to get back behind the plate again.

I liked the book because I’m a really big sports guy and anything that has to do with sports I like. My favorite part of the book was when he got back on the diamond and got back behind the plate. It really made me happy when he overcame his fear and got back out there. My least favorite part was when he got hit. No sports fan (besides football) likes to see another person get hurt from the sport.
I would recommend this book to anyone because it shows that nothing can hold you back and that nothing can get in your way. Any baseball fan would like this book. I rate this book 10/10

[Shaun J]

This book follows a kid named Jody. Jody is a young baseball catcher for the dolphins. The books opens up with the dolphins in the middle of a game vs the tigers the dolphins are on the field and jody is worrying about throwing the ball to second if they try to steal. When one of the tigers steal Jody throws the ball but it does not even make it there.



Soon Jody meets a man named Jim he says that Jody had a good game and is a good catcher. In there next game Jody cant seem to get any of his throws to third or second. Soon when he is up bat he gets hit in the head with the ball. And after he was scared of the ball every times. Soon Jody starts to practice with Jim and his teammate moonie. Jody is getting better at hitting and throwing



At the end they make it to the championship game against the tigers. Jody has been getting sat for the last few games. This game is no different he gets sat at the start of the game. But half way through the game the starter gets hurt and Jody has to go in. he is actually able to throw it to second and third. When he gets up to bat he slams one over second base and scores. They end up winning the game and Jody finally gets recognized as a good catcher.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jody is a good hitter and has significant knowledge of the game of baseball. He is a catcher and while he is good at the act of catching the pitches, he has a mental block when it comes to throwing to the bases. Afraid to really cut loose for fear of being wild, Jody consistently bounces the ball to the destination, making it almost impossible to throw out a runner.
The main theme of the book is his struggles to overcome his self-imposed difficulties and they are compounded when he is hit in the head by a pitch. Although his helmet prevented any injury, he becomes afraid to stand in at the plate, envisioning even balls a foot away from him as potentially hitting him. Therefore, this is a book about an adolescent overcoming their fears wrapped up in a sports fiction enclosure.
The act of meeting and overcoming your fears is one that all humans must repeatedly face, success in life is generally measured by how well that is accomplished. Therefore, the main lesson that is concluded during the big game at the end is a good one for adolescents. The only issue is that the fears are stated, restated and said again a bit too often.

[Luke Boudakh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book catcher with a glass arm written by Matt Christopher, is about a kid named Jody. Jody plays on a baseball team with Frank, Duane, Birdie, Bartho, and Monie. Ever since Jody got hit with a baseball while batting, he has had problems with batting. Jody would always step out of the batters box when it was time to hit the ball, because he was scared of getting hit again. Jody finally became tired of being seen as a terrible player so he practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. After some time during the season Jody became no longer scared of the ball but became a star player with a great arm. Jodys arm became so good his couch moved him to starting catcher. I would recommend this book to everyone as well as my peers who has or use to have a problem with a sport, because you will know how it feels. This book has a target audience for teenagers who play sports or anyone who use to play sports. There are parts of this book I liked and I didn't, but I wouldn't say it was terrible I would just say their where parts in this book that weren't needed.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read about a kids' baseball team. The catcher is having trouble getting the ball to 2nd base on steals (the glass arm). He also gets hit in the batter's box and struggles with trying to hit. It is a quick read that deals with a lot of the insecurities that younger kids might face in sports.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 star rating from my 9-year-old son. He found the technical descriptions of the games to be confusing, and full of jargon that he didn't understand. But he enjoyed the other aspects of the story, like the adventures with the main character's pet cat. Next time he chooses a Matt Christopher book, he'll try choosing one about a sport he is more familiar with.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was about a boy, who played base ball and is a carter who cant/ is scared to throw to second. I can related because i am a sub catcher and at first my pitcher wouldn't get down so i had to throw the ball above her head.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny. My boyfriend read this as a kid and loved it. We had been talking about books and this came up. I got from library and read just to see what like. Main character is a boy but his name is Jody!

[Livy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this book!
I am a catcher and I enjoy reading about other catchers.
Jody is a great kid and a great catcher but needs help on his throws.
I’m happy that he really pulls himself together in the end.
This book is great for catchers who are young and new to the game of baseball.

[Graham P · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Matt Christopher classic

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite as a child, recently bought for my grandson.

[Heidi Mussoline]

Someone brought up this book when they met Andrew and I was hoping the Jim in it was Jim Abbott but it was not lol

[Jason J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Christopher is a wonderful author. The fictional stories he is able to craft about sports really captured my imagination as a child and helped to fuel my love of reading.

[Blaise Morita · Rating 4 out of 5]

For generations of kids who grew up with equal doses of sports and literature in their lives, Matt Christopher books were a rite of passage. Covering a multitude of sports, he was most prolific when writing about America's pastime, baseball. A Catcher with a Glass Arm stands above the crowd, framing a delicate pitch that dips between athletic shortcomings and social awkwardness that pervades childhood. Protagonist Jody just happens to have a terrible throwing arm, or "glass arm", that causes him problems both on and off the ball field.

Christopher excels at pushing morals while not preaching, instead letting the natural progression of the story lead the reader to the proper conclusions. Catcher may not be his finest work yet, but it may be the one that best embodies the spirit of his tales, one that embraces flaws and makes the proverbial lemonade out of lemons. Drink up.

[Zack Kirchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros: A fun easy to read book about a sport that I love. This book shows the struggle of a young catcher with a weak (glass arm) and how he overcomes that setback. This book has a great theme and does a great job of developing characters and the plot. It also gives very detailed descriptions of baseball games which i enjoyed.

Cons: Didn't really have too many complaints about this book one that I was kinda disappointed with was the lack of detail i put into the setting.Another part that I didn't like was the fact that they came away from the storyline talking about midnight the cat and while Jody was put on the bench.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys baseball or short fun books. Also anyone that is generally interested in sports at all, they would all enjoy it.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this is the sort of book teachers give kids who like sports but not reading, I doubt the kids will ever learn to like reading!

I love baseball, but reading page after page of play-by-play is mind-numbingly dull. The best sports books have sports as a backdrop, not as the kernel of the book. Two non-sports vignettes (family caught in storm with downed power lines and boy rescues pet from drowning) feel forced and part of a different book. The main character's transformation (scared kid who needs to practice to overcome his insecurity so he can play baseball) is so obvious as to be pointless. Ugh.

Full disclosure: my nine year old son gives the book three stars.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. He couldn't really even throw it to the pitcher. Then in the last game, the catcher hurt himself and he had to go in. In one inning all he got was all three out cause he was able to throw the people out. Then they went to an indian cave in part of the book and his cat named midnight went into the cave chasing a rat. Then the cat fell into the four foot puddle and he had to rescue him. Another thing that happened to midnight was a dog chased him up a lamppost and then they finally got the cat down.

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age appropriate sports read for 9 to 12 year olds. The main character, Jody Sinclair, is struggling as a catcher in throwing-down runners to second base. Jody is beginning to be scare of the ball as a hitter also. One of Jody's team-mates' Dad, Jim Myers helps Jody work on his baseball playing skills. Jody has a black pet cat named Midnight and Jody showed great love and care for the cat. I thought the author adding Midnight as a secondary storyline was admirable.

[Lucas H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book that’s why I gave it 4 stars. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It has all the details in it that’s why I like it. This is realistic fiction those are what I usually read. Most of the stuff in the book could happen to me. I think it should get an award it is written very nicely. I think if you like baseball like me you should try to read this book. I think you will enjoy it.

[Annette Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matt Christopher was another author that was recommended for young reluctant male readers. I read this book and thought it could work for the 4th grade boys in my class who are into sports. Apparently Christopher has written an abundance of such books on scuba diving, basketball, baseball, dirt bike racing, etc. I will probably recommend these for the boys in my class who are struggling to find a book to read.

[Nick Goeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jody is a fantastic catcher. His fielding is superb, and his hitting is magnificent. The big problem is that he can't throw. He tries as hard as he can but he can't get the ball to second base on the fly to save his life. After a bit he goes into a slump and it takes alot out of him. Until his friend's dad helps him to hit again and throw. Then they win the league championship.

[Brent Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a middle school baseball player named Jody. He plays catcher for his team but struggles to throw the ball to the bases. Players from other teams begin to steal on him and take advantage of his "glass arm." He overcomes this feat and becomes a great player. This is a good story for children who want to begin to read chapter books and interested in baseball.

[Shay Karlen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jody has a problem with throwing the ball. I would recommend this book. Jody over comes his problem of throwing. If you like baseball you would love this book. I highly recommend this book. It is a overall very good book.

[Jared Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another baseball classic

I always loved this story when I was a kid especially when I played baseball as a catcher. I hated playing catcher so I totally understand how Jody struggling to throw runners out. Classic book from Matt Christopher and perfect for little leaguers.

[Ela Period · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book. I enjoyed it when I was in fourth grade. It was a great sports book.

[Justin Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this one's about the Russian. I accidentally read it twice.

[C C · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a white child growing up in the midwest I read every single Matt Christopher book. Loved 'em, but a what scam.