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The Sluggers #1
Game 1: #1 in The Barnstormers: Tales of the Travelin'
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LOREN LONG AND TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD WINNER PHIL BILDNER CREATE AN ACTION-PACKED PARABLE WHEREIN THREE SIBLINGS EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME AND DISCOVER THE STRENGTH IN FAMILY, THE POWER OF FAITH, AND THE TRUE MAGIC OF BASEBALL.
The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are criss-crossing the good ol' U.S. of A., raising money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt!
Griffith knows the most about his family's troubles. So it's his job to set things right, because that's what his father would have done.
Ruby has noticed a change in her big brother. Suddenly he's acting anxious and secretive, and she's determined to find out why.
Graham just wants to hit the field. Deep down inside, he knows that everything would be fine if his brother and sister would let him step up to the plate and swing for the fences.
And then there's the baseball that, when held simultaneously by Griffith, Ruby, and Graham, triggers the miraculous.
Loren Long is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Madonna's Mr. Peabody's Apples and Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could. His first picture book, Angela Johnson's I Dream of Trains, won the SCBWI's Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration. His version of Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" was a Golden Kite Honor Book. A former vintage ballist, he lives in West Chester, Ohio. You can visit Loren at www.lorenlong.com.
Phil Bildner is the author of the Texas Bluebonnet Award-winning Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy and its companion, The Shot Heard 'Round the World; Twenty-One Elephants, which was an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner; and The Greatest Game Ever Played. In addition, he is the author of the teen novels Playing the Field and Busted. A devoted softball player, he lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit Phil at www.philbildner.com.
Josh Hamilton's films include Kicking and Screaming, The House of Yes, Alive, Diggers, Online, and Outsourced. New York Stage work includes The Coast of Utopia, HurlyBurly, Proof, This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery, The Cider House Rules, As Bees in Honey Drown, and Suburbia.
The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are criss-crossing the good ol' U.S. of A., raising money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt!
Griffith knows the most about his family's troubles. So it's his job to set things right, because that's what his father would have done.
Ruby has noticed a change in her big brother. Suddenly he's acting anxious and secretive, and she's determined to find out why.
Graham just wants to hit the field. Deep down inside, he knows that everything would be fine if his brother and sister would let him step up to the plate and swing for the fences.
And then there's the baseball that, when held simultaneously by Griffith, Ruby, and Graham, triggers the miraculous.
Loren Long is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Madonna's Mr. Peabody's Apples and Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could. His first picture book, Angela Johnson's I Dream of Trains, won the SCBWI's Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration. His version of Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" was a Golden Kite Honor Book. A former vintage ballist, he lives in West Chester, Ohio. You can visit Loren at www.lorenlong.com.
Phil Bildner is the author of the Texas Bluebonnet Award-winning Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy and its companion, The Shot Heard 'Round the World; Twenty-One Elephants, which was an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner; and The Greatest Game Ever Played. In addition, he is the author of the teen novels Playing the Field and Busted. A devoted softball player, he lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit Phil at www.philbildner.com.
Josh Hamilton's films include Kicking and Screaming, The House of Yes, Alive, Diggers, Online, and Outsourced. New York Stage work includes The Coast of Utopia, HurlyBurly, Proof, This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery, The Cider House Rules, As Bees in Honey Drown, and Suburbia.
Audiobook
First published February 27, 2007
5 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Loren Long
119 books146 followersI grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the 1970’s. We had no artists of any kind in the family. We didn’t know any artists. I liked sports, especially baseball. My mother read to me a lot. But I have to admit, my favorite subject in school was gym class. I also liked to draw. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 4, 2011
If this book (and series) had come out 20 years ago, I would've bought it (and them) for my son, so I could read them too. I'd only heard of the series after reading a review in last Sunday's paper of Book #5, which is set in New Orleans (each book takes the traveling baseball team to a different city). So, as I was interested in the N.O. baseball connection, I decided to see what the series was all about.
It is very well-written, and you and your baseball-loving youngster (if you have one) will also get a smattering of history to go along with it, as the team members are veterans of the Spanish-American War (it's set in 1899). You also get to see in this book a little bit of what Cincinnati must've been like back then.
Old-time baseball terms are defined in unobtrusive sidebars. Did you know that the outfield used to be called the garden? So there was left garden, center garden and right garden, instead of the terms we use now.
The illustrations are gorgeous and well-suited to the time period.
I thought perhaps I'd only read this one and the one set in N.O., but now I'm interested to see how the mystery of the story plays out. Plus they won't take me that long to read. On to Louisville!
It is very well-written, and you and your baseball-loving youngster (if you have one) will also get a smattering of history to go along with it, as the team members are veterans of the Spanish-American War (it's set in 1899). You also get to see in this book a little bit of what Cincinnati must've been like back then.
Old-time baseball terms are defined in unobtrusive sidebars. Did you know that the outfield used to be called the garden? So there was left garden, center garden and right garden, instead of the terms we use now.
The illustrations are gorgeous and well-suited to the time period.
I thought perhaps I'd only read this one and the one set in N.O., but now I'm interested to see how the mystery of the story plays out. Plus they won't take me that long to read. On to Louisville!
May 4, 2011
This book is unlike anything I would usually read, but it was well recommended to me by a respected GR Friend. I wish this, which is part of the Sluggers series, had been written when my two sons were involved in Little League. Perhaps my 5 year old grandson will have an interest in baseball and I can provide him with the set.
This was a quick little read for me, providing a pleasant interlude in a busy day. It was the first of the books, originally entitled Barnstormers: Game 1 . Set in 1899, the early years of baseball, when teams would travel around the country to small towns and cities, earning their pay through the ticket proceeds, a clear picture of the time was viewed. The story involves a family of barnstormers, description of games played and a neat little mystery. I discovered belatedly that I would have to continue on with other installments to find the solution.
Although Loren Long is named as the author, he is also a talented bestselling illustrator. His many drawings are cleverly executed and add to the pleasure of this tale. The series was co-written by Phil Bildner, who added information and interest with his snippets of descriptions of baseball terminology.
I am an avid baseball fan, so this was a sweet little picture for me into an earlier era when the game was still developing.
This was a quick little read for me, providing a pleasant interlude in a busy day. It was the first of the books, originally entitled Barnstormers: Game 1 . Set in 1899, the early years of baseball, when teams would travel around the country to small towns and cities, earning their pay through the ticket proceeds, a clear picture of the time was viewed. The story involves a family of barnstormers, description of games played and a neat little mystery. I discovered belatedly that I would have to continue on with other installments to find the solution.
Although Loren Long is named as the author, he is also a talented bestselling illustrator. His many drawings are cleverly executed and add to the pleasure of this tale. The series was co-written by Phil Bildner, who added information and interest with his snippets of descriptions of baseball terminology.
I am an avid baseball fan, so this was a sweet little picture for me into an earlier era when the game was still developing.
April 10, 2024
I had to read this to second graders and I have to say I didn’t understand the plot one bit. Pictures were cool
January 28, 2008
I really didn't care for this book. I was pretty much confused for the whole first half, I think because there wasn't enough back story. Which, I know is hard in a book with 133 pages. I also really didn't care for the audio version. There were quite a lot of historical baseball terms used (and, yes, that part was pretty cool) but the narrator kept inserting the modern equivalents directly after each term. It really broke up the flow of the book. It would have been better to have a glossary at the end, even if some of the terms would have been unfamiliar while reading. I've not seen the print copy yet, so I don't know if this is the same way that is presented. Anyway, it seems to be very popular with our patrons- I don't think the print copy has been on the shelf since it arrived- so, I just must be missing something here!
August 26, 2009
This book was more like a first chapter. Unless a kid was only interested in reading baseball books, I can't imagine that they would be motivated enough to pursue this series.
October 2, 2022
The best characteristic of this book is the introduction and explanation of baseball terms from the early years of the game. Phrases such as “left garden” for left field, “ace” for a run scored, “ant killer” for a hard ground ball, “striker” for a batter, and “hand down” for an out are introduced and explained.
The context is a game between the Travelin’ Nine that is traveling (barnstorming) across the nation playing local teams and the year is 1899. The game in question is being played locally in order to retire some of the massive debt that has been incurred by the Payne family. Griffith, Ruby and Graham are the three Payne children, and they do what they can to help out, passing out flyers and rooting during the game.
While the basic information about the game played in this timeframe is interesting, the on field apparitions seen only by some are aspects of the plot that sometimes seem senseless. They have no affect on the outcome, add nothing to the revenue from the game and are overemphasized. They are a weakness in what is otherwise a very entertaining book.
The context is a game between the Travelin’ Nine that is traveling (barnstorming) across the nation playing local teams and the year is 1899. The game in question is being played locally in order to retire some of the massive debt that has been incurred by the Payne family. Griffith, Ruby and Graham are the three Payne children, and they do what they can to help out, passing out flyers and rooting during the game.
While the basic information about the game played in this timeframe is interesting, the on field apparitions seen only by some are aspects of the plot that sometimes seem senseless. They have no affect on the outcome, add nothing to the revenue from the game and are overemphasized. They are a weakness in what is otherwise a very entertaining book.
June 10, 2024
This started out solid for a children’s’ chapter book and then went off the rails a bit. Things it does well: the pictures are awesome, super quick pace, initial plot and background super intriguing and caught my attention quickly. I also like that the language and baseball vocabulary is true to the time period. I already knew the majority of the “original” baseball terms, but I liked that side notes included definitions because JP will be able to learn, too. Sadly, it otherwise, like I said, went off the rails a bit. The plot became hard to follow, the baseball play-by-play itself was clunky to read, and the mystery is super confusing and maybe underdeveloped (I can’t even tell, honestly).
April 12, 2019
Originally known as Barnstormers when it was a hardcover-only series, now known as Sluggers in hardcover/paperback (Simon & Schuster). This has a similar feel to the Dan Gutman series, in that it combines baseball and magic, but aren't high-fantasy (no goblins, trolls, etc.). There are six in the series so far. My favorite aspect of this series is that a lot of baseball terminology and slang are used right in the prose, and then defined in the margins of the page. You get to read a great baseball adventure story and learn baseball vocab - what could be better than that?
July 4, 2017
Excellent and magical
July 15, 2019
The story is engaging, but for me the best part of the book was the illustrations! Not sure how many books are in the series, but sure left me wanting to know what happens next...
July 15, 2015
"Great danger lies ahead ... Things will speak to you in different ways... See the things that others don't."
These are Uncle Owen's words to Griffith after his father's funeral. But what do they mean? Before he has time to explain, Griffith, Ruby, Graham and their mother Elizabeth must leave. Elizabeth plays in the place of her husband on the Travelin' Nine barnstormers baseball team. Of course, she is disguised as Guy. It is an effort to raise a lot of money for their family after the death of their father.
They start in Cincinnati and drum up business in order to play the Cincinnati Swine (gotta love that name). The three siblings watch the game and things are going well for the Travelin' Nine. Then Griffith notices the baseball seems to be trembling. This is the baseball that Griffith's father carried with him while he was fighting in the war. Was it really trembling? After that, Griffith sees a switching signal appear on the third base side of the field accompanied by fog and the roar of a train. The Travelin' Nine seem to fall apart that inning with the Swines scoring a ton of runs. You see ... only those connected with the Travelin' Nine see the fog and the train. What really happened? Was it Uncle Owen's words coming to life? Did the ball have anything to do with it?
Fans of baseball should enjoy this brief book with a cliff-hanger ending that will lead them to the next book. It's an interesting choice to use the baseball jargon of the time period and define it within the body of the text, rather than having a glossary.
These are Uncle Owen's words to Griffith after his father's funeral. But what do they mean? Before he has time to explain, Griffith, Ruby, Graham and their mother Elizabeth must leave. Elizabeth plays in the place of her husband on the Travelin' Nine barnstormers baseball team. Of course, she is disguised as Guy. It is an effort to raise a lot of money for their family after the death of their father.
They start in Cincinnati and drum up business in order to play the Cincinnati Swine (gotta love that name). The three siblings watch the game and things are going well for the Travelin' Nine. Then Griffith notices the baseball seems to be trembling. This is the baseball that Griffith's father carried with him while he was fighting in the war. Was it really trembling? After that, Griffith sees a switching signal appear on the third base side of the field accompanied by fog and the roar of a train. The Travelin' Nine seem to fall apart that inning with the Swines scoring a ton of runs. You see ... only those connected with the Travelin' Nine see the fog and the train. What really happened? Was it Uncle Owen's words coming to life? Did the ball have anything to do with it?
Fans of baseball should enjoy this brief book with a cliff-hanger ending that will lead them to the next book. It's an interesting choice to use the baseball jargon of the time period and define it within the body of the text, rather than having a glossary.
November 16, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Here's the beginning of great new series for kids. BARNSTORMERS: THE TALES OF THE TRAVELIN' NINE is written by Phil Bildner and illustrated by Loren Long.
Set in 1899, BARNSTORMERS brings historic baseball to life for readers. The story centers around three siblings, Griffith, Ruby, and Graham. Still recovering from the death of their father, the three children are traveling with the colorful ball team, the Travelin' Nine. Their exhibition games are meant to earn money to pay the debts left behind after the death of their father.
Adding excitement to the story is a mysterious baseball given to the children by their father's brother, Uncle Owen. The baseball has seen better days, but its torn stitching and acorn-sized hole seem to promise miraculous things if the siblings keep it close during these trying times. Could it be the baseball that causes the crazy visions the team sees on the field as they play ball?
Bildner creates a wonderful picture of the past as he takes readers through the team's first game against Cincinnati. With historical baseball terminology explained in the margins, kids of today are treated to a magical glimpse into the history of early baseball. The lyrical text does not talk down to younger readers, but instead challenges them to read and appreciate Bildner's engaging style. Add in the mystical illustrations of Loren Long, and I can't wait to see the story continue.
Here's the beginning of great new series for kids. BARNSTORMERS: THE TALES OF THE TRAVELIN' NINE is written by Phil Bildner and illustrated by Loren Long.
Set in 1899, BARNSTORMERS brings historic baseball to life for readers. The story centers around three siblings, Griffith, Ruby, and Graham. Still recovering from the death of their father, the three children are traveling with the colorful ball team, the Travelin' Nine. Their exhibition games are meant to earn money to pay the debts left behind after the death of their father.
Adding excitement to the story is a mysterious baseball given to the children by their father's brother, Uncle Owen. The baseball has seen better days, but its torn stitching and acorn-sized hole seem to promise miraculous things if the siblings keep it close during these trying times. Could it be the baseball that causes the crazy visions the team sees on the field as they play ball?
Bildner creates a wonderful picture of the past as he takes readers through the team's first game against Cincinnati. With historical baseball terminology explained in the margins, kids of today are treated to a magical glimpse into the history of early baseball. The lyrical text does not talk down to younger readers, but instead challenges them to read and appreciate Bildner's engaging style. Add in the mystical illustrations of Loren Long, and I can't wait to see the story continue.
July 14, 2019
Barnstormers: Game One by Phil Bildner and Loren Long
I listened to this audiobook on a short drive with my son yesterday. It was only about an hour long, and definitely just the beginning of this fun middle-grade series. Very intriguing plot, and I liked the side explanations of the historic baseball terms- I’m guessing these are footnotes in the book? The narration was terrific, and I’d like to listen to the next two books in the series. I picked this one because I like both of the authors already, and am always looking for book series for my 3rd graders. Historical fiction, with a twist of magic and mystery? Plus, baseball! Sounds like a home run!
(Note: I really liked that this series felt like a chapter book series for younger readers, but with a higher level plot - I think it would be perfect for kids who are developing readers but need a more complex story!)
I listened to this audiobook on a short drive with my son yesterday. It was only about an hour long, and definitely just the beginning of this fun middle-grade series. Very intriguing plot, and I liked the side explanations of the historic baseball terms- I’m guessing these are footnotes in the book? The narration was terrific, and I’d like to listen to the next two books in the series. I picked this one because I like both of the authors already, and am always looking for book series for my 3rd graders. Historical fiction, with a twist of magic and mystery? Plus, baseball! Sounds like a home run!
(Note: I really liked that this series felt like a chapter book series for younger readers, but with a higher level plot - I think it would be perfect for kids who are developing readers but need a more complex story!)
December 31, 2013
This is a story set in the late 1800s about three kids who are out on the barnstorming circuit with their mom because their dad has been killed. They apparently owe someone a great deal,of money which they are trying to earn back by playing baseball. There is a lot of old fashioned baseball jargon and mystical happenings but no resolution. Maybe that comes in the next volume, but I'm not going to bother reading that one.
August 24, 2013
Barnstormers Book 1 Is The Is the beginning of my #1 favorite series the Barnstormers(Now named Sluggers) is an amazing book and the best one in books 1,2,3,.It deserves very nice,has amazing storytelling and a little fantasy with the magic baseball.Overall The Barnstormers Book 1 is one of the best books ever
November 16, 2012
This is the most underrated and least well know sports series ever in my opinion. I couldn't put them down and when they changed the name of the series to Slugger after book three which (spoiler alert)ends in a cliff hanger, I spent a year looking in every book store I went in to find them. This one in particular isn't the best in the series but it is very good!
March 18, 2013
Children's book about baseball. This begins a series and doesn't conclude. It is continued in the next volume. It didn't hold my interest at all. It is a combination of baseball, children, and twilight zone.
May 18, 2013
Kind of cute. I'm not that into baseball, but it was fun to see the old terminology from the turn of the 20th century. Ends on a definite cliffhanger, but I'm not sure I care enough about the people to read the next one. Cute for kids, though.
April 18, 2009
I like this book because it's a lot of genres at once: sports, historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy. It has something for everybody
January 28, 2010
I liked this book because it was for like little kids playing. It was like back in the days look. And i never really saw how it looked to thats why i liked it.
January 31, 2010
Interesting premise.
The setting has a lot of potential.
Not a great start to a series.
I'm going to have to read the second book before I can really pass judgment.
The setting has a lot of potential.
Not a great start to a series.
I'm going to have to read the second book before I can really pass judgment.
March 10, 2010
"Never give up and always reach for your goals"
June 25, 2015
Audio.... Not really a baseball fan and even though this was for kids, things were over explained which made it annoying. Could have put a list in the back instead of making it part of the story.
December 19, 2011
This is one Ezra read and liked.
October 13, 2012
This is an old-time baseball story with mystery and fantasy.
April 20, 2017
This was a fine book. However, it was obviously an installment in a series, and gave me so little resolution to anything, it felt like an introduction. I'd be interested in continuing the series, but only if I had several of the next books readily available. It does have a fascinating premise, though.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews