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Cal Ripken, Jr.'s All Stars
Super-Sized Slugger
Cody Parker may be overweight (he prefers the word burly ), but he plays third base like a dream. Too bad no one knows it yet, because he’s new to Baltimore, where he’s a target—okay, a big target—for brutal teasing. Even worse, he’s competing for the starting job on the Orioles of the Dulaney Babe Ruth League against budding hoodlum.
Dante Rizzo, who vows to squeeze Cody’s head like a grape if Cody beats him out. Life gets even more complicated when York Middle School is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts, a crime wave that threatens to sideline Cody—and ruin a golden season for the Orioles. Will Cody ever succeed in getting people to see him for who he really is?
“Ripkin and Cowherd have created a definite winner for anyone with the slightest interest in baseball, sports in general, those adjusting to a new city or school, being overweight in middle school, or just wanting to be entertained by a good story.” —School Library Journal, starred review
Dante Rizzo, who vows to squeeze Cody’s head like a grape if Cody beats him out. Life gets even more complicated when York Middle School is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts, a crime wave that threatens to sideline Cody—and ruin a golden season for the Orioles. Will Cody ever succeed in getting people to see him for who he really is?
“Ripkin and Cowherd have created a definite winner for anyone with the slightest interest in baseball, sports in general, those adjusting to a new city or school, being overweight in middle school, or just wanting to be entertained by a good story.” —School Library Journal, starred review
Audio CD
First published March 6, 2012
30 people are currently reading
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About the author
Cal Ripken Jr.
38 books31 followersCal Ripken, Jr. was a shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles for his entire career (1981-2001). Nicknamed “The Iron Man” for his relentless work ethic and reliability on the field, Ripken is most remembered for playing a record 2,632 straight games over 17 seasons. He was a 19-time All Star and is considered to be one of the best shortstops professional baseball has ever seen. In 2007 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Since his retirement, Ripken has worked as President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc. to nurture the love of baseball in young children from a grassroots level.
Since his retirement, Ripken has worked as President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc. to nurture the love of baseball in young children from a grassroots level.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 26, 2021
To understand why this book made me fall in love with it you need to know that I struggled to find a good book to read and thankfully I had a great friend to recommend this to me so to everyone who likes sports and struggles to read long informational books this is a great choice.Personally I relate to this book a lot, first off I've been playing baseball for as long as I've been alive and when I am a big hitter. Anyway I gave this book 5 stars because the book used a really good a mount of imagery for example " Jessica rolled her eyes and rose to her feet. She drained the last of her water bottle, retrieved the ball, and put a long jump shot from the top of the key." Honestly I really liked this scene because it gave me a great visual aspect into the book as well as kind of a prove them wrong moment. I also really liked this book because I could relate to the characters really well especially Cody, Cody is obsessed with baseball and the love for the game overpasses anything else. I am an avid baseball players and play over 100 games a year traveling all over to play top level baseball. I remember when I started playing baseball I had a picture of Derek Jeter's 3000 hit and before every plate appearance I would picture that was my 3000 hit. I never like books that are slow and not enjoyable so for me to relate to a book made it much more enjoyable especially how each page made it hard for me to stop reading. To understand my enjoyment for this book you should know I am not a big book reader most books bore me but this book kept me on my toes! I recommend this book to all kids like me who have a hard time reading books because the book is loaded with cliffhanger and plot twists!
July 27, 2017
My ten year old son bought me this book for a gift with his own money because he knows how much I love baseball. To be honest I was not expecting much, but it was a decent read. Some of the story didn't flow as well as other books, but the basic premise was ok and I was glad to share a book with my son over a subject I love
January 14, 2019
Super Sized Slugger
Reasons Why I Liked This Book
Super sized slugger was a big hit, it would be at least a triple as a review from me. This book was a really good book for me because I was able to relate from my experience to his, because I play baseball. But even I did not play baseball, this would be a good book to read because Cody (the main character) has had a tough couple of years because he had been getting bullied at school and other teams because he was fat. I thought it was neat because in baseball you want to be big and strong, which helped him prove to people why it is okay to be fat, and how he just did not stand up for himself but also for some other people that are overweight. If I had to give this book a review out of 5 I would give it a 4/5 because, in some situations I was able to be curious on what would happen next but most parts of the story were really predictable.
Recommendation
If I could recommend this book to someone it would probably julian Fast because he also plays baseball.
SUMMARY
This book was about a boy who is overweight that loves to play baseball. The problem of this book is that he gets bullied by kids at school and from kids that play baseball with him because he is overweight. So he decides to take on a journey to make people to not think of him as just a overweight kid, because he wants to be more. The more you get into the book, the more you will realize how and why he decides to take on this journey. The journey he took in this book was to be better at baseball, lose weight, and to get himself in a relationship with a girl he likes.
Symbol
The symbol that I chose which is under this paragraph is there to represent in this book that it does not matter what you look like or how you decide to live, everyone should be treated the same amount of happiness, and the same amount of hate. For example if you look “uglier” than someone else, you should not have to struggle more than they do, you should struggle the same amount.
Reasons Why I Liked This Book
Super sized slugger was a big hit, it would be at least a triple as a review from me. This book was a really good book for me because I was able to relate from my experience to his, because I play baseball. But even I did not play baseball, this would be a good book to read because Cody (the main character) has had a tough couple of years because he had been getting bullied at school and other teams because he was fat. I thought it was neat because in baseball you want to be big and strong, which helped him prove to people why it is okay to be fat, and how he just did not stand up for himself but also for some other people that are overweight. If I had to give this book a review out of 5 I would give it a 4/5 because, in some situations I was able to be curious on what would happen next but most parts of the story were really predictable.
Recommendation
If I could recommend this book to someone it would probably julian Fast because he also plays baseball.
SUMMARY
This book was about a boy who is overweight that loves to play baseball. The problem of this book is that he gets bullied by kids at school and from kids that play baseball with him because he is overweight. So he decides to take on a journey to make people to not think of him as just a overweight kid, because he wants to be more. The more you get into the book, the more you will realize how and why he decides to take on this journey. The journey he took in this book was to be better at baseball, lose weight, and to get himself in a relationship with a girl he likes.
Symbol
The symbol that I chose which is under this paragraph is there to represent in this book that it does not matter what you look like or how you decide to live, everyone should be treated the same amount of happiness, and the same amount of hate. For example if you look “uglier” than someone else, you should not have to struggle more than they do, you should struggle the same amount.
March 18, 2020
This book was about a kid named Cody who had just moved to a new home. Which is pretty hard to do because then you have to make new friends. Once Cody moved in he tried out for a new baseball team and ends up doing really good. At the try outs he meets a kid named Dante who ends up talking trash about Cody for his weight and his appearance. Cody ends up showing him weight doesn't matter by doing better in the try outs than Dante.
February 11, 2018
They spell the name wrong.Its actually called super slugger.Not super sized slugger.lololooloolool
May 7, 2019
It was a really good book, but I didn't like it.
May 4, 2020
Lexile: 810L
DRA: 50
This is a really great book about being the new kid. I think it is a very relatable book for anyone who has had to move schools or has ever been bullied.
DRA: 50
This is a really great book about being the new kid. I think it is a very relatable book for anyone who has had to move schools or has ever been bullied.
October 9, 2021
I really dont care about sports books unless they are done incredibly
Read
October 5, 2023.jgccv,
April 2, 2024
A great read for any kid who loves baseball. As an adult reading, it was a bit predictable, but definitely an enjoyable read!
July 29, 2014
This book, written by Cal Ripken is an excellent book to help build character, morals, and principles for young readers. I enjoyed reading this. Both of my children play baseball, so I picked it up when we were in Aberdeen, MD along with a few other of his books.
Anyway, Cody Parker is the new kid on the block. His dad took a transfer from Milwaukee, Wi to Baltimore, MD as part of a job promotion. Now his dad is police detective. However, Cody stayed inside and remained sedentary most of the summer, which doesn't do much for a kid who already has problems with his weight (he likes food). Yes, he was athletic, but that wasn't the initial reaction of his fellow classmates when they first saw him- especially one kid in particular. Continue Reading.
So Cody's favorite sport was baseball, and so it was for his arch-enemy as well. Dante was out to make Cody's welcome here a living nightmare- ON AND OFF the field. They were at practice (tryouts), and Cody voiced that he would like to play at 3rd. However, Coach Hammond believed he might do better in the outfield (because of his weight- thinking this kid is not athletic at all). UNTIL he saw him play. BUT Dante wanted to play 3rd too, and that's where the trouble began. Dante said 3rd base is "MINE." However, tryouts are tryouts, and Coach Hammond didn't see it that way. In fact, he liked what he saw in Cody, and was glad to see him as part of the Baltimore Orioles. Dante was not going to be playing 3rd base.
Dante, not being happy with this decision, bullies Cody in school frequently. Read the book to see how Cody handles Dante throughout the story along with a little help from his new teammate friends, his new neighbor friend Jessica, and his dad who had a similar nightmare when he was a kid.
Read the story to see how Cody deals with his weight.
When life hands him lemons, he makes lemonade.
Teamwork appears to be a common thread both on and off the field. When things go missing at Cody's middle school, Cody has to fight for his chance to play the last game because he was framed for the thefts. He risked getting suspended from school and not being able to play baseball. But with the help of his friends and his gym teacher, they are able to find the culprit.
Again, this was a quick read, and if you love baseball, such as myself- it is a story for ALL ages especially our youth. Furthermore, in my opinion- the moral to be learned within the story- teamwork is important. Sometimes we just cannot do it ourself, and it is okay to depend on others for help. There is no "I" in Team!
Anyway, Cody Parker is the new kid on the block. His dad took a transfer from Milwaukee, Wi to Baltimore, MD as part of a job promotion. Now his dad is police detective. However, Cody stayed inside and remained sedentary most of the summer, which doesn't do much for a kid who already has problems with his weight (he likes food). Yes, he was athletic, but that wasn't the initial reaction of his fellow classmates when they first saw him- especially one kid in particular. Continue Reading.
So Cody's favorite sport was baseball, and so it was for his arch-enemy as well. Dante was out to make Cody's welcome here a living nightmare- ON AND OFF the field. They were at practice (tryouts), and Cody voiced that he would like to play at 3rd. However, Coach Hammond believed he might do better in the outfield (because of his weight- thinking this kid is not athletic at all). UNTIL he saw him play. BUT Dante wanted to play 3rd too, and that's where the trouble began. Dante said 3rd base is "MINE." However, tryouts are tryouts, and Coach Hammond didn't see it that way. In fact, he liked what he saw in Cody, and was glad to see him as part of the Baltimore Orioles. Dante was not going to be playing 3rd base.
Dante, not being happy with this decision, bullies Cody in school frequently. Read the book to see how Cody handles Dante throughout the story along with a little help from his new teammate friends, his new neighbor friend Jessica, and his dad who had a similar nightmare when he was a kid.
Read the story to see how Cody deals with his weight.
When life hands him lemons, he makes lemonade.
Teamwork appears to be a common thread both on and off the field. When things go missing at Cody's middle school, Cody has to fight for his chance to play the last game because he was framed for the thefts. He risked getting suspended from school and not being able to play baseball. But with the help of his friends and his gym teacher, they are able to find the culprit.
Again, this was a quick read, and if you love baseball, such as myself- it is a story for ALL ages especially our youth. Furthermore, in my opinion- the moral to be learned within the story- teamwork is important. Sometimes we just cannot do it ourself, and it is okay to depend on others for help. There is no "I" in Team!
May 26, 2016
Have you ever had and enemy that bullied you before? Well, in the novel Super Slugger by Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball player named Cody Parker just moved to Baltimore, Maryland and he’s not happy! A boy named Dante Rizzo bullies him, because of his weight. Sadly, he goes to Cody’s school, York Middle and is on his baseball team. Mysterious crimes and thefts have been going throughout the school. Will this conflict effect Cody’s overall baseball performance and will people accept him for who the real Cody is?
This is a book that i would recommend. There is an extreme amount of conflict and will keep you asking yourself…”What will happen next?” “With a likeable protagonist, a suspenseful plot, and plenty of action on and off the field, this is a grand slam for baseball fans” By far this is one of many of my favorite books that I have read so far.
Super Slugger is the kind of book that’s filled with mystery and sports. (Would mostly appeal to kids) It has great descriptive detail and makes it feel like you are in the story. Lastly, you get to feel what it’s like and how hard it is to be the “newbie” of the area and school. “Immediately I felt a stab of homesickness as I thought about my old house on the leafy Otter Trail.
Overall, this book is filled with jammed packed mystery and will keep you flipping pages. Kids who love sports will also have fun and enjoy reading this novel. Will Cody ever stop getting bullied, will he catch the school thief and still have picture perfect baseball season with his new team? You may never know until you read Super Slugger by Cal Ripken Jr.!
This is a book that i would recommend. There is an extreme amount of conflict and will keep you asking yourself…”What will happen next?” “With a likeable protagonist, a suspenseful plot, and plenty of action on and off the field, this is a grand slam for baseball fans” By far this is one of many of my favorite books that I have read so far.
Super Slugger is the kind of book that’s filled with mystery and sports. (Would mostly appeal to kids) It has great descriptive detail and makes it feel like you are in the story. Lastly, you get to feel what it’s like and how hard it is to be the “newbie” of the area and school. “Immediately I felt a stab of homesickness as I thought about my old house on the leafy Otter Trail.
Overall, this book is filled with jammed packed mystery and will keep you flipping pages. Kids who love sports will also have fun and enjoy reading this novel. Will Cody ever stop getting bullied, will he catch the school thief and still have picture perfect baseball season with his new team? You may never know until you read Super Slugger by Cal Ripken Jr.!
March 27, 2013
This book was an amazing read. If you are looking for a Realistic Fiction book, you need to read this book. This book is very fast paced, and I just couldn't put the book down!
Cody Parker, the star slugger on his baseball team, is caught with somebody else's phone in his binder. He will not be able to play in the championship game of the league if he can't find out the true thief. What will happen?
The book's author is Cal Ripken Junior, a very accomplished baseball player, who played third base, just like the main character of the book. Cal Ripken Junior's book also reflects on many things that happen in middle school, like bullying and theft. The main character is Cody Parker, who is on the heavier side, so he is bullied very often, even by his baseball teammates, and his opponents. This book not only deals with his baseball struggles, but also with his struggle with bullies and theft. I also learned a lot from this book, as I learned new things about treating people the way you want to be treated.
Super-Sized Slugger is a very fascinating book, and I would recommend it to everybody who would like a good read! (no pun intended)
Cody Parker, the star slugger on his baseball team, is caught with somebody else's phone in his binder. He will not be able to play in the championship game of the league if he can't find out the true thief. What will happen?
The book's author is Cal Ripken Junior, a very accomplished baseball player, who played third base, just like the main character of the book. Cal Ripken Junior's book also reflects on many things that happen in middle school, like bullying and theft. The main character is Cody Parker, who is on the heavier side, so he is bullied very often, even by his baseball teammates, and his opponents. This book not only deals with his baseball struggles, but also with his struggle with bullies and theft. I also learned a lot from this book, as I learned new things about treating people the way you want to be treated.
Super-Sized Slugger is a very fascinating book, and I would recommend it to everybody who would like a good read! (no pun intended)
September 8, 2014
This book was called Super-sized Slugger by Cal Ripken Jr. This book kept me on my toes and I couldnt stop reading it! Basically there is an 8th grader who just moved from Wisconsin and there is a bully who is pushing him around. He signs up for a baseball team and makes it but the coach puts him in right field and everyone knew that right field was for the nerds and fat kids. All the kids at school would tease him and call him mean names, but he made everybody shutup until they saw him on the baseball field! He told the coach that he could play 3rd base too and he puts him there to try it. Then he amazes all his teammates! He was an instant superstar at 3rd. When he went to go to bat on the first practice he just hit homeruns all day! The team had to battle through a hard season but they ended up winning the championship and having an undefeated season! He said this was one of his best baseball teams he had ever played for! I thought this booked showed a form of bullying and a form of courage. The book shows that no matter how big you are you can still be amazing at sports! :)
November 8, 2014
Title: Super Sized slugger
By: Cal Ripken Jr,Kevin Cowherd
I think that Super Sized Slugger is a very good book because its about a kid who plays baseball and he is on a team.The kids name is cody he goes to school and does everything right then one day a girl came to school and her name was Jessica and she played baseball to.Then one day they went to play catch and she was good at throwing then when they went to school cody got tackeled and then they started to fight then Jessica came and helped him.Then when cody went to the locker room someone stole his phone then he told his coach and he said that someone will return it.Then when he started to play baseball he made a home run and his team won 0-2 and his coach was proud of him.Then one day when he went to the mall he saw his enemies and he hid in the bush and he saw them selling stuff stolen from school and he told his friend.Then they blamed it on cody and he told the princeapal that it wasnt him and that it was the other kids and then Jessica said thats not a lie.
By: Cal Ripken Jr,Kevin Cowherd
I think that Super Sized Slugger is a very good book because its about a kid who plays baseball and he is on a team.The kids name is cody he goes to school and does everything right then one day a girl came to school and her name was Jessica and she played baseball to.Then one day they went to play catch and she was good at throwing then when they went to school cody got tackeled and then they started to fight then Jessica came and helped him.Then when cody went to the locker room someone stole his phone then he told his coach and he said that someone will return it.Then when he started to play baseball he made a home run and his team won 0-2 and his coach was proud of him.Then one day when he went to the mall he saw his enemies and he hid in the bush and he saw them selling stuff stolen from school and he told his friend.Then they blamed it on cody and he told the princeapal that it wasnt him and that it was the other kids and then Jessica said thats not a lie.
April 16, 2012
I originally picked this up at the library when I saw the authors: Cal Ripken, Jr., of Baltimore Orioles' fan, and Kevin Cowherd, a Baltimore sportswriter. For a complete non-sports person, this was quite a good story, following Cody's adjustment to Maryland after a move from Wisconsin, making new friends, and dealing with a bully.
Despite the title, Cody's weight is only a side issue...a little confusing, because the first few chapters make it clear that most of his weight is stockiness/body type, but he then proceeds to try to take off a few pounds over the course of the baseball season. A few plot points are a little too convenient, but that doesn't detract from an enjoyable story. I think most late elementary/early middle school boys, and many girls (there's a very strong girl character) would enjoy this.
Despite the title, Cody's weight is only a side issue...a little confusing, because the first few chapters make it clear that most of his weight is stockiness/body type, but he then proceeds to try to take off a few pounds over the course of the baseball season. A few plot points are a little too convenient, but that doesn't detract from an enjoyable story. I think most late elementary/early middle school boys, and many girls (there's a very strong girl character) would enjoy this.
November 30, 2015
This book is quite interesting, due to the fact that I learned new things about baseball. I usually do not pick novels affiliated with sport themes, and that is the reason that I enjoyed it. This book's writing is very powerful because of the reason that it explains how low self esteem kids can overcome their difficulties. I personally in my perspective do not really care for baseball slang that this book contains. If this book was a series I would not continue to read them because I was not very entertained to it at all. I can relate to this story by knowing how the kid, Cody Parker felt from being overweight and his mental state. As you can see those are the various reasons I chose to rate this book a 3-5.
May 1, 2014
Liz Fortner
I read Super-sized slugger by: by Cal Ripken, Jr. Thirteen-year-old Cody Parker moves to Baltimore, Maryland from Wisconsin, where as a fat eighth-grader, he has to deal with brutal teasing from a baseball teammate, and his school is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts that threaten to sideline Cody and ruin an awesome season for his team. I thought it was a really good book.
I like how it was about sports. I also like how there was a girl that did karate and stuck up for her friends, and how even though he was in deep trouble he was still positive and helped his friends.
I rate this book five stars for the reasons above.
I read Super-sized slugger by: by Cal Ripken, Jr. Thirteen-year-old Cody Parker moves to Baltimore, Maryland from Wisconsin, where as a fat eighth-grader, he has to deal with brutal teasing from a baseball teammate, and his school is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts that threaten to sideline Cody and ruin an awesome season for his team. I thought it was a really good book.
I like how it was about sports. I also like how there was a girl that did karate and stuck up for her friends, and how even though he was in deep trouble he was still positive and helped his friends.
I rate this book five stars for the reasons above.
September 6, 2015
How to be a good person in the face of Dante's teasing? Little bit mystery in the last third of the book, but all heart as Cody, the newest kid at school, makes friends on and off the field. My little one loved it, but he is a sucker for a baseball story. I like them when they have great life lessons and this one does (e.g., do not underestimate the power of good friends - even a girl can save the day).
If the way Cody deals with Dante's bullying does not make you laugh...well you are not human.
If the way Cody deals with Dante's bullying does not make you laugh...well you are not human.
November 20, 2015
This was our library's selection for this month's Books for Boys Book Group for boys ages 9-11 and a parent. I was team-leading the discussion and activity.
Cody has moved from Wisconsin to Baltimore and has a run-in with Dante, the school bully. Jessica is his neighbor, has mad athletic skills, and is Cody's age -- 13. Cody loves baseball and tries out for the third base position, even though he is big enough to attract badgering about his size.
The story boils down to facing fears, all kinds of fears. It has warmth, humor, tension, and lots and lots of baseball talk.
Cody has moved from Wisconsin to Baltimore and has a run-in with Dante, the school bully. Jessica is his neighbor, has mad athletic skills, and is Cody's age -- 13. Cody loves baseball and tries out for the third base position, even though he is big enough to attract badgering about his size.
The story boils down to facing fears, all kinds of fears. It has warmth, humor, tension, and lots and lots of baseball talk.
December 1, 2016
super sized slugger by Cal Ripken Jr is an awesome book the book is about this kid named Cody moved to Baltimore and he tries out for the Babe Ruth league team and he tries out for third base but this bully named Dante plays third base but Cody takes his place and Dante gets mad. And the orioles the baseball team Cody is on is good and they are trying to go undefeated this season. there is this theft thing in his in school and Dante blames it on Cody and he made Dante confess and their Gym teacher heard his confession I recommend this book to people who like action and a little bit of drama.
Read
May 2, 2012This is the 2nd book in this series and I've read them both out loud to my boys. This book had a good story line, just like the first. We often found ourselves laughing at some of the characters and how they interact with one another, especially the players on the baseball team. We'll look forward to additional books if they are written!
November 25, 2012
Really well written book for boys, and I enjoyed it as an adult too. The characters are well developed and Ripken injects quite a bit of humor - I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Nice story with a good message about bullying - and how to handle it. Very baseball focused - not surprising - so am not sure how "into it" young girls would be, despite the good story.
May 14, 2014
The theme of this book is courage. One example of the theme is when Cody stood up to his bully to make him confess. Another example is when Cody did well in baseball even when he was threatened to be hurt if he did so. An example of symbolism is Prince Fielder. People should read this book because it is a great example of how baseball changes lives.
September 25, 2014
Decent book, but not stellar. A solid story for kids who want to identify with characters that are not so picture-perfect but are still athletic. As a "super-sized" kid on the team, some kids to make fun of the protagonist--at least until they find out how talented, how dedicated to the idea of "team", and what a good guy he is. He's a nice kid, one you'd want your kid to befriend.
April 15, 2016
This is one of the first books my 7 year old has picked out (all by himself!) to listen to on the way to and from school. He loved it. He loves baseball and loved Cody and how he handled being bullied in school. I thought it was... meh... too neat and tidy. Everything wraps up too nicely for my tastes. If your little one loves baseball though, s/he will like this book.
August 23, 2012
Cody Parker is thrilled to have landed on his new baseball team, and most of the Orioles are thrilled to have their new third baseman and fifth-hitting slugger. Who isn’t thrilled? How about the Oriole’s old third baseman and fifth-hitting slugger?
March 9, 2016
When I first saw this book I thought I would hate it. But once I read the first chapter I was hooked. The pages practically turned themselves. This book also had a real connection with me because when was little I was really big so I know what he was going through.
September 3, 2016
I think this book is a good book for 4th and 5th graders. It is very interesting, when I read it I didn't want to stop because of the action in the story. This book is the 1st of many books Cal Ripken Jr. has written in the All-Stars Series. I highly recommend this book
May 29, 2012
im still reading i like it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews