Screaming at the Ump

by Audrey Vernick

Twelve-year-old Casey Snowden knows everything about being an umpire. His dad and grandfather run a New Jersey umpire school, Behind the Plate, and Casey lives and breathes baseball. Casey’s dream, however, is to be a reporter—objective, impartial, and fair, just like an ump. But when he stumbles upon a sensational story involving a former major league player in exile, he finds that the ethics of publishing it are cloudy at best. This emotionally charged coming-of-age novel about baseball, divorce, friendship, love, and compassion challenges its readers to consider all the angles before calling that strike.

Genres: Sports, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Baseball, Family, Friendship, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Audrey Vernick is the author of books for young readers.

Forthcoming titles:

When I Redraw the World, illustrated by Heather Fox

Homesick, written with Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Daniel Miyares


www.audreyvernick.com

Reviews

[Johnny G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read a book for kids, I expect that the writing is more from the point of view from a kid. The writing in this book sounded like an adult trying to be a kid. I thought that the challenges Casey faces were real (there are all these little side stories going on) but they aren't stories that haven't been told before. And I'm a baseball fan. The author is from New Jersey so I respect that, but I just couldn't get in to this one even though I did finish it.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really thought about the view from behind the plate until I read this book. Perfect for baseball fans and inquisitive kids.

[Kary H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALMOST 5 stars! Really loved the premise, the real characters, the writing. Can't wait to booktalk this one to the fifth graders later this week.

[Kate Schwarz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Audrey Vernick--her picture books are first-class. I've purchased her Brothers At Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team for both of my grandfathers and my father. It is a treasure of a book for any baseball-loving person, especially those who remember the "Golden Years" of baseball. And OH MY GOSH is First Grade Drop Out hilarious!

But this book was a bit of a dud. It had its high points but the low points (such heavy-handed stuff about Casey missing (or not missing?) his mother after she left her father for the baker that visited their house and umpire training school once a week.

I'd still read any book she writes, though! Worth a try, because the good ones are really good.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book screaming at the ump, a young boy grew up knowing everything about being an ump because his father and grandfather ran an umpire school. Casey and his best friend Zeke help run the umpire school. Casey has bigger dreams then being an umpire, one day he hopes to to be a sports journalists in his studies of being a journalist he found a story line on a major league baseball player brought down by a steroid scandal with the humor and intelligence this book made me rethink everything i know about baseball and even my home life situation and the similarities between my childhood and mine. overall this is a wonderful book and i recommend it to anyone at any age!

[nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one. Another librarian in our district recommended it, when I mentioned wanting to host Vernick for our next author visit but was mostly familiar with her picture books. There’s a section in the story where the narrator talks about not needing to love sports if the journalist writing about it is good and that’s exactly how I felt reading it. I’m not into baseball but I loved meeting Casey and stepping onto the grounds of Behind The Plate. Excited to add it to our collection and pick up the hosting conversation with our PTA again.

[Colby Moore]

In the book screaming at the ump, a young boy grew up knowing everything about being an ump because his father and grandfather ran an umpire school. Casey and his best friend Zeke help run the umpire school. Casey has bigger dreams then being an umpire, one day he hopes to to be a sports journalists in his studies of being a journalist he found a story line on a major league baseball player brought down by a steroid scandal with the humor and intelligence this book made me remember everything i know about baseball, I recommend this book.

[Remi Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. My gma that lives with me recommended it. There’s a section in the story where the narrator talks about not needing to love sports if the journalist writing about it is good and that’s exactly how I felt reading it. I never really thought about the view from behind the plate until I read this book. Perfect for baseball fans and inquisitive kids. Overall, in my opinion the book was really interesting and i actually kept wanting to read it and i usually hate reading.

[Gauge Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one i was very interested in and i do not read that much. This book included family and school about how they helped with the umpire school and planned to run it one day. The young kid who loved baseball and wanted to become his own sports journalist. He wants to be on the school newspaper with this years umpire school group. His friend Zeke will be on reality tv. The book is full of fun characters and interesting things one i will read forever.

[Seth Adams]

Screaming at the Ump is a great book that captures the greatness of youth sports. The Story is a great reminder of the importance of respecting each other and the value of sportsmanship. Aubrey Vernick's writing is very entertaining, making this a great book for young readers who like sports in general. Overall, Screaming at the Ump is a great story that is good for all readers of any age who like sports.

[Rosanne Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy read, even if you are not into baseball.

[Brenner Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone who likes books about MLB players who go to umpire school

[Nancy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Snowden, the third generation of a family that runs a school for umpires, dreams of being a sports writer. He joins the middle school newspaper staff, convinced he's on his way to stardom. Of course, there are obstacles. The newspaper's tradition is that sixth graders don't write for the paper; they just sell ads. The teacher/advisor enforces that unwritten rule, as does an eighth-grader who has a beef against Casey's dad. There's trouble at home, too, as Casey's parents are divorced and his mom is pushing to see Casey more. But since she was the one who left, Casey has no interest in cooperating.

I would have given the book five stars but for a few things. Most importantly, any teacher I know would not stonewall a student who is striving to reach a goal. I guess it wouldn't have served the plot well if instead of blindly upholding tradition, he had instead sat down with Casey and guided him through the makings of a good story. Instead, he just rejects Casey's first effort with offhand comments about what it lacks. Secondly, the story Casey runs with is a bonafide scoop that would make any newspaperman's blood race. What he finally does with the story is disappointing. (Not to mention, it's totally unbelievable that the major league player on whom the plot turns could just disappear after his involvement in a doping scandal.)

The plotting is swift, with several subplots that tie together well. For this audience, humor is important; I found the plots and the characters' actions amusing, but the dialog was a little flat. The author misses some great chances at humor; for example, she says Casey's best friend Zeke brings weird things in his school lunches, but then it's just crackers and a candy bar, or a banana and two chocolate chip cookies. No laughs there. And, I was distracted by her habit of mentioning something that has a backstory, but then not giving it until much later. For example, on page 31 Casey calls his mom Mrs. Bob the Baker, but we don't find out why until page 66. For more than thirty pages, I was distracted wondering about his mom and her nickname.

All in all, I did like the book, though, and it would certainly satisfy a baseball-loving reader. For my own son, getting out there on the field was more vital to him than reading, so I was willing to put almost any book with a baseball theme into his hands. A story that will keep a reluctant reader happy is okay in my book.

[Kirsten Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey's father and grandfather run an umpire academy. One of only three schools in the nation, umpire hopefuls from all over come for a five-week training camp to learn how to make the right calls. Casey loves baseball too and is also interested in being fair and unbiased like his father and grandfather, but he wants to do things in a different way. Rather than being an umpire, Casey hopes to become a sports reporter. As he starts sixth grade, he is excited about the opportunity to join the middle school paper and get his first chance at writing. But when he tries to write his first story, he realizes being objective is a lot harder than he thought. At the same time, Casey is dealing with his parents' divorce two years ago, and it seems like the umpire academy might be having financial problems. Then when a major league sports scandal surfaces at the center of the umpire academy, Casey must learn how to make the right calls off the field too.

I liked the ideas behind Screaming at the Ump - I don't read a lot of sports books, but I feel like the idea of an umpire academy is pretty unique. The author did a pretty good job of making sure that even in this setting, the focus was still on the protagonist and not on all the adults attending the school. I also liked how the story developed into something a lot bigger than a light baseball read about a kid who wants to write a newspaper article. You can feel Casey's emotions building up as you read and his anger and worries are revealed. Vernick does a great job building well-rounded, relatable characters - not just Casey, but also the supporting characters like his dad, his mom, and J-Mac.

Nevertheless, I just wasn't crazy about the writing style. There were a few places where it felt like Vernick was writing like how she thinks a middle schooler would talk, but it doesn't sound like any sixth grader I know. At some points, this writing style distracted from the story's content. Still, I think that kids who enjoy baseball would enjoy reading this book. For a character-driven novel, there is definitely a good bit of action and of course enough sports talk to keep a young fan entertained.

Ages 10-14

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Snowden loves baseball. His dad and granddad run the third best umpire school in the country (out of three). He likes nothing better than seeing the students come in, getting back together with the instructors and You Suck Ump Day. This year the ump school coincides with Casey starting middle school. Casey loves baseball but doesn't want to play or be an ump, he wants to be a sports reporter. Now that he is in middle school he thinks he'll get the chance to write for the school newspapers. His hopes are dashed when he is told that sixth graders don't get to write. They have to pay their dues by selling ad space before they become reporters. Casey doesn't want to give up his dreams and works hard to come up with the most amazing story ever to get in the paper. Things aren't going so well at home either. Fewer students have signed up for umpire school this year, which means some of the instructors haven't been rehired either. Casey has to plan You Suck Ump Day himself with the help of his best friend. Casey's mom is also back in the picture. She left them for Bob the Baker and has been absent for a while. Casey is still mad at her and wants nothing to do with her, but his dad is forcing him to spend time with mom.

There is a lot going on in this book which makes it pretty heavy at times. Casey seems to go from one issue to the next: school problems, bullies, financial problems at home, mom issues, questions about whether dad is moving the school to Florida. All the issues fit into the story, but because there is so much going on it feels like nothing is ever truly developed well. Maybe with fewer issues, the ones remaining could have been truly fleshed out. I liked the uniqueness of the umpire school. I've never even heard of it or read anything with it as a subject. I really liked the relationship between Casey and his best friend. It added a lot of humor to the otherwise kind of heavy story.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey Snowden has grown up around baseball. His dad and grandpa own the third best umpire academy in the country (there are three of them). Every fall 100 young men and occasionally a young woman come to their New Jersey school with the hopes of qualifying for the next level of training that will lead to a job as a major league umpire. Casey loves every minute of it, especially “You Suck, Ump!” day, but what Casey really wants to do is become a sports reporter. This year, though, is different. There are fewer students, some of the usual teachers have been let go, and Casey’s mom is back in town. Will the school close and move to Florida? Can Casey handle the greater responsibilities at the school? Will his dad really make him live with his mom? Why won’t Casey’s teacher let the 6th grader write for the school newspaper?
This is a pleasant, sometimes funny, story about a young teen trying to prove himself. There are great moments with Casey and his best friend and Casey and his dad. There’s a side story about a disgraced pitcher who is attending the school incognito. Sometimes, though, it’s a bit too much. In an effort to include friendship issues, parent issues, money problems, and career questions it seems that none are really done well. This is a solid middle school story (nothing objectionable) that will probably circulate well, but I just expected more (or maybe less!)
As a baseball fan, I want to add that the scenes detailing the training the students go through was fascinating to me -- especially "You Suck, Ump!" Day -- love that idea!! I wonder if they really do that at umpire school?

[Garrett Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you found a sensational story about a former major league baseball player that no one else knew? Well, if you read the book “Screaming at the Ump”, by Audrey Vernick, you can read all about Casey Snowden’s story on how he handles it by making difficult decisions.

He is a little information about my book that may help you want to read it. Casey is the main character in this story. He is 12 years old and knows everything about being an umpire. He knows this because his father and Grandfather run an umpire school in New Jersey called Behind the Plate. Although Casey knows almost everything about being an umpire, he really wants to be a writer. I enjoyed reading this part of the book because it relates to life situations where the kid doesn’t have to follow what his father does. When reading this book I told myself I was going to only read a chapter a night, but by the end I was reading 4 to 5 chapters each night.

I definitely recommend it to anyone that loves baseball. Most people about the high school age or younger would like this. I think that it has a good message for the reader such as doing what you believe in. I also like how it shows it can be difficult to make decisions when you are such a young age. I loved not knowing what Casey was going to do next, so I recommend this book if you like suspensefulness. I would not recommend this for people that don’t like baseball or humor. Even though the title is “Screaming at the Ump” I suggest you don’t yell at your umpire.

[Rosi Hollinbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for the San Francisco Book Review:
Casey Snowden has spent his entire twelve years steeped in baseball, but not in the usual way. Sure, he played a couple years of Little League, but most of his baseball knowledge comes from growing up at Behind the Plate, an umpire school that trains umpires for the big leagues. One might think such a boy would have dreams of playing in the bigs or taking over the school, but Casey wants neither. He just wants to become the best sports reporter ever, and reporting has amazing parallels to umpiring. Casey is surrounded by interesting characters – his best friend Zeke, a bit of a geek, who is funny, smart, and a true friend; Sly, an eight-year-old girl, who is annoying, bright, and dedicated; Ibbit, Casey’s father and head of Behind the Plate and many other clever characters. There is also Casey’s mother, Mrs. Bob the Baker, who bailed on the family and the school, but now wants a relationship with Casey.

“You couldn’t say, I did it because everyone was doing it. Rules govern the fame of baseball – rules govern everything! – and you don’t get to pick which rules you want to follow. There’s integrity to the game. And the rules apply to everyone.”

Audrey Vernick has written a complex, many-layered story that will satisfy readers from ten up. Both boys and girls and many grown-ups will find this a fun and heartwarming story, and if readers are baseball fans, that’s a bonus.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Casey has grown up around baseball. His family owns the leading Umpire School, so Casey knows all about the sport, but wants to write about it instead of play or umpire it. His dream job is to become a sports journalist that focuses on baseball. He believes his time has come when he gets to be on the middle school newspaper as a sixth grader. Unfortunately for him, 6th graders never get to write. When a rather large story seems to be thrown into his lap, he has to begin making choices about what leads to follow, what to believe, and what he should actually share. Casey begins to find out that not everything is as black and white as ball or strike.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this story. Casey is a very well drawn out character. As things become more difficult for him, you also begin to ask yourself questions of how far you would go into the investigation and where privacy meets the need to share things with the public. I think it was an interesting look at journalism and celebrity privacy at the same time. The dialogue is funny and there were definitely times that made me chuckle. My favorite parts were the ethical aspects and the growing up that Casey does. He is definitely not the same sixth grader that he starts up being.

[Billie Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this text because I thought it would be a great book for boys, which is something I am always looking for for our classroom library. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Kacey has grown up living at a school for baseball umpires. His grandpa and dad run the school and Kacey has become more and more involved in the family business but he has his own dreams of someday becoming a reporter. When he enters middle school he has aspirations of writing a sports column for the school newspaper, only to be told 6th graders do not get to write articles because they are responsible for selling advertisement space! Despite this ridiculous rule, Kacey is determined to unearth the most interesting and newsbreaking story that the newspaper will be forced to print. Where else would he look for this story then in his own backyard at the umpire school. Here the conflict develops as Kacey has to grapple with integrity, failure, and some family drama.
It was a good read and had a happy ending, but the story itself dragged a little bit and took awhile to really get going. I will recommend it to students but I anticipate having to continue encouraging them to persevere through the slower sections.

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey lives with his father and grandfather at the Behind the Plate umpire school. There are classes year round, but the school's big event is their 5-week Umpire Academy, capped off by "You Suck, Ump!" day. Casey loves the academy and loves to help out, but he notices that fewer students have turned up this year and that even some of the regular instructors haven't turned up. He is worried about the fate of the school. He is also butting heads with his father who is pressuring him to let his recently remarried mother back into his life, and wrestling with his conscience over whether or not to tell a story that will reveal the secret of one of the academy's students. There is a lot on his plate. This book was kind of a tough read for me. I was over half way through before I got interested. I really hate baseball, but I usually like baseball books, and this one really wasn't so much about baseball. So, I'm not sure why I found this one such a tough sell. However, there is a lot of humor here, and situations that will appeal to boys, so I won't have any trouble recommending it to readers.

[Lenore Appelhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a ton of middle grade (or books about sports for that matter), but I was intrigued by the journalism angle in SCREAMING AT THE UMP and would definitely recommend this to budding reporters. Casey has grown up surrounded by baseball because his father runs a school for umpires. But he himself doesn't want to be an ump, or even a player. He wants to write about baseball, and now that he's starting middle school, he'll finally have the chance to be on a newspaper staff.

Only when he gets there, he finds out that 6th graders never get to write -- they have to pay their dues by selling ad space. But what if the story of the century just happens to fall in his lap? What if a disgraced former major league player just happens to be at his father's ump school? In the course of pursuing his big break, Casey learns a lot about being objective and the importance of second chances.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey lives with his father and grandfather at the Behind the Plate umpire training school. Baseball is his life, though more than wanting to play he wants to write about it. The first day of middle school is also the first day of the five week Umpire Academy, the highlight of his year. As he and his best friend Zeke work on behind the scenes aspects of the Academy, Casey finds that middle school brings its own challenges. First, there is his mother, who wants to be back in his life after leaving several years before. Then there is the school newspaper, which has never let sixth graders write articles before. Add to that the possibility that one of their umpire students is actually a disgraced baseball player accused of drug use, and this is a very different Umpire Academy indeed. For baseball lovers, grades 4 & up.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Snowden loves his life--- well, to be honest he is bitter about Bob the Baker's Wife, but other than that he loves the reformed reform school he lives in with his dad and grandpa running an umpire boarding school each spring with the enthusiastic help of his best friend Zeke.

His real ambition though is to be a journalist. He is entering middle school where there is a school paper! One step closer to his dream! Except, except No Sixth Graders can submit stories! If Casey can get a scoop, can he publish? He has an opportunity to interview a scandalized baseball player but, but can he really tell this story?

Lots in this book, family relationships, eavesdropping, estranged mom, friendship, tradition, hero worship, and ethics. Ultimately satisfying.

[Aidan Mohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You suck ump, get a life, you need glasses, you suck" pg.156 The sound of fans at the annual you suck ump day. The very last test of the academe for umpiring taught by Zeke's father. In this story is some funny and pretty interesting things you would of never known about umpiring a baseball game. Audrey Vernick does a very nice and neat job of making some fun with and about umpires in this great realistic fiction story "Screaming at the Ump". I gave this book a 4 and a half star because it was funny and easy to follow, but not a five because it was not my favorite book ever. I recommend this book to middle school boy interested in baseball. read "Screaming at the Ump" to find out about the cool tips and funny jokes about being an umpire.

[Brandon Carmichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

all together a pretty amazing book to read as a teenager it is a very inspirational text if your into sports story or anything i highly recommend giving this book a try. in the future i definitely plan to read more story's by audery and enjoy more the text where very understandable very clear and easy to see many story's you will read nowadays are very small text long and boring amazing text size great hook starting off getting into the book most books will leave you with a cliff hanger at the end not this one though this one had an amazing ending making me more interested to read more text by him even if it isnt about sports i enjoy the structure as well as the attitude you can tell through the story.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Snowden (12) dreams of becoming a sports reporter when he grows up. Everyone expects him to follow in his dad and grandpa's footsteps and become an umpire. Casey and his best friend Zeke do enjoy assisting at his dad's umpire school, and this year they are in charge of "You Suck Ump! day" where the town is invited to the baseball fields in order to yell at the students in training. The umpire school may have a former major league player as a student this year. Can Casey be an impartial journalist and uncover the story and will he be able to help his dad succeed with fewer students this year? Interesting middle level sports book with a good theme/message.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle-grade novel's narrator is sixth-grader Casey Snowden, a baseball-writer-wannabe whose father and grandfather run the third best (out of three) umpiring schools in America. The supporting cast of Screaming at the Ump is one of its appeals, along with interesting perspectives on the training of umpires. For readers interested in baseball, Audrey Vernick provides authentic insights that go beyond the cliches found in most sports books.

Audrey Vernick is also the author of the picture book Brothers at Bat, another fine baseball book for young readers.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not read this book (although I did skim it) but picked it out for my 10 year old son. On a day that I was very frustrated with a town sports league's repeated ethical shortcomings, the title spoke to me! My sports nut son is not usually inspired to keep picking up a book even when they are sports-focused, but this one he really enjoyed and picked up voluntarily to find out what was going to happen. He said it was a really good story, so I am rating it here for other parents of kids around his age who might be looking for a good book choice for their child.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great middle-grade read, this is one of those rare books that will appeal to both boys and girls, both sporty and more literary kids. Vernick's dialog and sense of how middle schoolers work is pitch-perfect and very current. While the baseball elements are engaging and obviously well-researched, they don't exclusively drive the plot so even baseball novices will understand and enjoy the story. This is not just another sports novel, but a fresh, fun story about the challenges of being truly objective, especially about the people closest to us.