Twelve-year-old Charlie Nebraska wants two things he can't get: to make the local baseball team and to have life to return to the way it was before his father died two years earlier in the Korean War.
When Charlie meets Luther Peale, a stranger who quietly and mysteriously arrives in Charlie's small Iowa town, and sets up camp near the river, the two strike up a friendship. Luther is a former Negro Baseball League player, and he agrees to coach Charlie's fledgling neighborhood baseball team.
But many of the town's white residents are suspicious of Luther because of his skin color. And when Charlie inadvertently reveals a secret of Luther's, violence erupts in the town and both Luther and Charlie are drawn into serious danger.
Authors Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley have created two highly memorable, emotionally complex characters in this dramatic story set in the days of the Negro Leagues that illustrates the meanings of friendship, prejudice, and heroism.
Carol Gorman is an Iowa-born writer of over 40 published books. She spent 17 years teaching in middle-school, high-school, and college classes. Her writing time has been devoted to creating mystery and suspense novels for children.
She originally aspired to be an actress, and while studying at the University of Iowa, was cast in the lead of both West Side Story and Peter Pan. In the 1980s, Carol married writer Edward Gorman, who inspired her to write. She conducts writers’ workshops at elementarys, middle schools and high schools, and enjoys talking to students about writing and publishing.
This dramatic and sad story set in the years of when Blacks couldn't play baseball defines the true meanings of friendship, love, and sticking up for one another. Charlie Nebraska wants two things in his life, to make the local Wildcats baseball team and to have his father back who had died in the Korean War. Then Charlie meets Luther Peale, a former Negro Baseball League player who agrees to coach Charlie's neighborhood baseball team for a game against the Wildcats. But many of Charlie's white neighbors are suspicious of Luther and don't like him, and when Charlie accidentally reveals a secret of Luther's, violence engulfs the town and both Luther and Charlie are drawn into serious danger. My favorite part of this book is when Charlie and Luther are running away from a Psyco-path named Ruckus from Tennessee - Luther's hometown- and are drawn into the sewer for where they could have died.
Rating: ***** This is a dramatic and moving story set in the days of segregation. A young white boy and a black man show the true meaning of friendship and heroism. I’m not much of a sports fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed the suspenseful baseball theme. I didn’t want to put this book down.
Summary: It is 1952 in Holden, Iowa. Charlie Nebraska, whose father died in the Korean War, befriends a black man who had played baseball in the Negro Leagues. Charlie dreams about playing for the local Wildcats baseball team, but he doesn’t make the team. Then Charlie meets Luther Peale, a former Negro Baseball League player who gives Charlie and his friends some baseball tips. Luther soon finds himself coaching the neighborhood kids for a game against the Wildcats. Unfortunately, many of the white adults in town are suspicious of Luther, and to make matters worst Luther has a secret that draws Luther and Charlie into serious danger.
Main Characters: Charlie Nebraska – Charlie is a good kid who is going through a tough time. His father was killed in the Korean War. He also dreams of playing baseball for the Wildcats baseball team, but he doesn’t make it. Charlie is kind to everyone and befriends a Negro down on his luck. Luther Peale – Luther is a Negro, and he is running from something. He ends up in Holden, Iowa. He is down on his luck and looking for a job and a place to stay. He is discriminated by many of the white people in town, but that doesn’t stop him from helping the kids learn how to play baseball. Mary Nebraska – Charlie’s mom is a single parent who is struggling after the loss of her husband. She is very kind and caring to everyone, including Luther. She is dating a man who is very prejudice and now must choose between her son and a potential new husband.
Key Issues: baseball, single-parent families, segregation, friendship, loyalty, and heroism
Other Interesting Information: The authors, Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley, are both from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Carol Gorman is the author of more than a dozen award winning books for children. She is a former middle school teacher and taught at Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids at one time. She currently teaches at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Ron J. Findley played baseball for Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, and in 1961 his team became the Iowa High School State Baseball Champions.
Can baseball make a friendship strong even if two different people are completely unlike the other person. Stumptown Kid by Carol Gorman takes place back in 1952 is a mixed book between sports and history. The author Carol Gorman is written as if it was actually in 1952 because of the wording she uses. Back in 1952 there was a lot of prejudice and discrimination. The main character Charlie meets an “negro” baseball player they become excellent friends since they both share the love of baseball. This is one of the many problems Charlie has to deal with in his life and there's many more. Read the book to find out what other things charlie has to go through.
This book covers a difficult topic within a classic sports story. Overt and convert racism, different aspects of segregation are introduced. The sports aspect of the novel is classic Americana. The protagonist, Charlie Nebraska, is cut from the town team, he puts together his own squad with the help of Luther Peale, who is a former Negro league pitcher. Through teamwork, hustle and a positive mindset, Luther helps Charlie and company beat the town team.
To begin the story, Charlie's dad has died two years previous in combat in Korea. Charlie lives with his mother in Holden, Iowa. The part of town where they live is referred to as Stumptown by the locals. The tension in the story comes from Vern, mom's boyfriend. A bigot, who does not measure up to Charlie's father and puts Charlie in multiple compromising situations.
The novel is written with a first person narrator, in a very conversational style.
When looking at the bats available to the team, Charlie thinks to himself "it was cracked but taped up good" (p.53). The conversational English in the story makes the material more accessible to YA readers, even if it makes me cringe. I find it surprising to see common language usage outside of conversation within the novel, this will certainly reinforce bad language habits. Also, the racism within the novel is explored thoroughly at times (Luther does not want to go into Charlie's house), while glossed over in other aspects. Our narrator is consistently insightful, but does not know what segregation is in the Midwest in 1952. The minor imperfections of the story are easily forgiven, due to the intense topic of exploration--racism and latent racism in America.
The novel remains immediate because there is no focus on 1950's style. Detail is kept to the people in the story and not the objects surrounding them or what they are wearing. For instance, Charlie's mom has a car that is described sparsely. It does not seem the story is taking place so long ago. Instead of long descriptions of shark fins and white wall tires, it is just a car. Although, Luther uses a crystal set radio when camped--I still only vaguely know what that is, so there will be a few things to introduce to students before reading this novel.
The novel also provides an introduction to the negro baseball league. Luther played for the Memphis Mockingbirds. He recounts stories to Charlie about playing against Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson, both of whom are in Major League Hall of Fame. Luther gives Charlie a Larry Doby bat for his birthday--Larry Doby was the first black man to play in the American League, with the Cleveland Indians. There is enough inside information on baseball within the story to captivate the YA reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Stumptown Kid was about a white kid who made a friend that was black in a white town. Some characters are Charlie Nebraska, Uncle Vern, and Luther Peale. One problem is that Uncle Vern hated black people. One day Vern walked in when Luther was eating with Charlie and his mom. My favorite character is Charlie because even though people hated Luther he still was friends with him. In my opinion I think the book was a must read book. It was a good story of blacks and whites. It was a book that had cliffhangers so it made me read chapter after chapter. My favorite part of the book was when Charlie and Luther both met. My least part of the book was when Luther was inspected for some reason you will have to read the book too find out. If I could change anything in the book I would change Uncle Vern too be ok with black people. If you like book that are cliffhangers, actions, or/and historical fiction book I recommend this book is just right for you.
This book was amazing,it brought me so many emotions I didn't know how to handle. In the book Charlie kept thinking his dad return from war and he wasn't dead. I believed that as well, but the other part of me thought that he fought in a war and the soldiers brought his body back so there is no way the soldiers could be wrong. Also my favorite part of the book is when Luther is teaching Charlie and his friends baseball and they become so much better at the game. I thought it was very brave of Luther when he tried to save Ruckus even though he tried killing Luther. Charlie became very upset that Luther had to leave and go to Tennessee because Charlie wanted a dad or father figure to look up to. All in all this book was great. This book had upset me at the end because Charlies friend had to leave him and move away.
Told from a 11 year old boy's perspective growing up in an all white town Charlie is discovering the small town mentality of some of Stumptown's citizens when a young black man enters town.
There is some great historical fact in this story about the negro league. Here are also some good historical facts that help define the setting for this time period (early 1950's). I enjoyed reading about their Frigidaire, their new black and white TV, candling eggs, Red Cedar River, Rock Island bridge, the pick up games if baseball at a local park on a summer day.
Winning combination of historical fiction and baseball. Charlie wants to make the best baseball team but gets cut. A former Negro League baseball player befriends him and becomes the coach of Charlie's second-rate team. Racial tension abound (as this takes place in 1952 Iowa), but fortunately the racist language is tame. Lots of baseball techniques given.
This book is abysmal. It has laughable attempts at character development that gets coupled nicely with a hilariously dumb plot. This books only saving grace is its attempt to explore racial injustice, but it undersells it massively, and does not leave nearly enough of an impact on the reader. There was a genuine effort to write a book here, but the author might need to try a bit harder.
This book has all the five things a book needs. Emotion,Shock,Craziness,Actions and Funny. And those are the five things I judge a book by. And this is book I would read over and over again and not get sick of it.
This book was good and it kept me reading it because it was a kid my age learning baseball so it taught me some tips and what it would take to make teams. I would suggest this book to anyone who is a young kid who wants to learn more baseball and to learn how to pitch.
The Stumptown Kid is a book about a kid that loves baseball however he is not very good at it. His name is Charlie and he try out for the local baseball team called the Wildcats but his best friend makes the team. All Charlie can do is watch the games. After the try-outs are done he meets Luther who was a professional baseball player who played in the Negro league. Luther helps Charlie become a better player. Luther was a pitcher who can no longer pitch because he hurt his arm. Charlie and Luther create a baseball team called the Stumptown Stormers and decide to play the Wildcats after a week of practice. The game was very exciting however it only lasted two innings because someone came looking for Charlie and the police were involved.
I liked the book because it was about baseball and a kid who had to work hard to get better. I feel like I have done the same thing when it comes to baseball, which is another reason I like this story. There were multiple plots in the story everything from Charlie becoming a better ball player and his relationship with Luther. Charlie was also exposed to racial prejudice when his mom’s boyfriend did not like Luther because of the color of his skin. Luther also had a man chasing him who was the brother of a ball player that he hit and killed with a pitch when he was playing in the Negro league. This was a very dramatic themed story that involved prejudice, death and potential murder. In the end Charlie’s mom must decide between Charlie and her prejudice boyfriend Vern and she chooses the obvious Charlie.
a lad has lost his father to the korean conflict and becomes entranced by a drifter, even sneaking out of his house to visit the drifter at his homeless encampment down by the river (no van).
meanwhile, his milf dates a grand wizard and a local tuff pops up occasionally to cause grief, 'caues he can. exhausting amount of ethnic issues. turns into 'the bad news bears' with the drifter as buttermaker.
This book has lots of characters in it and they each have their own personality. You almost feel like you get to know the characters. You become to sit and trying to infer whats going to happen next.
The context for this novel is the timeframe of the early 1950’s in a small town in Iowa. Specifically in the area around Cedar Rapids. As a lifelong resident of that area, many of the location references are well known to me. When I was young, there was an area of Cedar Rapids known as Stumptown and my great uncle lived there. There are several themes to this book. There is love of baseball, the sense of loss when a husband and father is killed in the Korean War, and how sports can bridge the gap between the races. Charlie Nebraska is twelve and he wants two things in the worst way. The first is to get his life back to the way it was when his father was alive and the second is to make the Wildcats baseball team so that he can play baseball. The first is impossible and the second extremely unlikely until a young black drifter arrives. His name is Luther Peale and he is a former baseball player in the Negro Leagues. Peale arrives with almost nothing, yet Charlie is immediately drawn to him for his knowledge of baseball and his willingness to share. Charlie’s mother proves to be very enlightened in her thinking, even allowing the hungry Luther to eat supper with them. Since this is the early fifties and there were no black people in the immediate area and Luther is a drifter, there is some racism. Yet, it is surprisingly muted. Luther is very experienced in candling eggs, so he gets a job checking eggs at the grocery store and a room at a boarding house. At that time, locals brought their eggs to the store to sell them for cash. There is a touching scene when it is time to eat. One boarder refuses to eat with Luther, when Luther offers to leave, she tells him to please sit down and eat, immediately ending the ruckus. Luther beguiles Charlie with his stories of playing with the Negro League stars and he agrees to coach Charlie’s baseball team. Many of the parents express initial doubts, but once they see Luther in action and how well he teaches the kids, most of them express their approval. Luther also has a past that catches up with him, but with the help of Charlie, he manages to overcome it and Charlie’s team proves that baseball is a game where good coaching can overcome weaker natural skills. This is a great story about baseball, racial intolerance and how the less talented and differently colored can overcome their difficulties.
Stumptown Kid was about a white kid who made a friend that was black in a white town. Some characters are Charlie Nebraska, Uncle Vern, and Luther Peale. One problem is that Uncle Vern hated black people. One day Vern walked in when Luther was eating with Charlie and his mom. My favorite character is Charlie because even though people hated Luther he still was friends with him. I was kind of like Luther when I lived in Davenport. I had a friend that was black. At our old school blacks would be friends with blacks and whites would be friends with whites. When he had a sleepover for his birthday I was the only white person there. In my opinion I think the book was a must read book. It was a good story of blacks and whites. It was a book that had cliffhangers so it made me read chapter after chapter. My favorite part of the book was when Charlie and Luther both met. My least part of the book was when Luther was inspected for some reason you will have to read the book too find out. If I could change anything in the book I would change Uncle Vern too be ok with black people. If you like book that are cliffhangers, actioness, or/and historical fiction book I recommend this book is just right for you.
This is a great book for a story that shows that people are equal no matter what skin color they are. Charlie is dealing with loosing his dad and his mother dating a jerk. After not making the dream baseball team in his town, he befriends a new man in town who just happens to be black. Charlie learns quickly that his ideal town has it's own biases when it comes to different people. Luther, the new man in town, has his own past he has to deal with at the same time, trying to show those that'll give him a chance that he's just a normal guy who wants the best in life he can get. A lesson for everyone who reads this book!
This was a really good story about a boy whose father was killed in the Korean War, and who loves baseball. He makes a new friend, a professional baseball player with a secret, and finds out some sad truths about how people in his town treat black persons. He defends his friend, and finds some peace within himself as he stands up for what is right. This is a good glimpse of what life was like in the early 1950's.
One of my 6th graders, Gage, recommended this book to me as the best book he'd ever read -- and he was right! Its focus is baseball but since the main character's friend is a black former pro baseball player in the 50's, there is a lot about race relations of that time too. Very, VERY exciting! I can see pairing it with "Thank You, Jackie Robinson."
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Its about a boy growing up in times where it was still "bad" to some people to be around a black person. When the boy becomes friends with one, some people dont take that too well and problems occur. Must read
THis book has a lot of suspense and this book has a lot of racism. There's some death and violence. Yet all those things might seem bad, they teach us some great lessons for life like never to give up.
really interesting book very intense and just a great book in general makes you want to read it all the time even if you don't want to trust i tries stopping but i couldn't it was just so interesting so i think you should read it