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Bull Catcher
After submitting his fouryear baseball diary for a senior project, Neil "Bull" Larsen's passion for baseball takes second place to his new perceptions on life, in a comingofage story by the author of Up Country. Reprint.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 19, 2019
One of the best baseball books I have ever read.
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October 31, 2018Personal response:
I liked this book because it was about baseball. The book itself was good overall.
It also caught my attention because it was based in Wisconsin which made it even more intriguing. I would definitely read the book series if there was one.
Plot summary:
Neil larsen loves baseball. He plays it year round and is pretty good at the sport. He lives in little old Wisconsin with his grandpa and while his mom lives in LA where she works. Jeff's best friends which are his baseball friends are all on the team. They all play year round there names are Jeff and Billy. All his friends problems bring Neil along with. They effect how he plays baseball and what happens during high school. Neil also was playing in a game and forgot it was a forceout and hit the runner right in the nose and broke it. Then he went and apologized. Nobody was mad at him and the family was super nice. Jeff also likes the guys sister. Then his mom came to town and that was a big no no. That summer she took him to LA to live with her and he hated it there. When he got back his, grandpa had a heart attack and he almost died, and then his mom came back and apologized to Neil about LA. After all that commotion, his ban from the baseball team is lifted. They then finish off the season with a good record and fought hard and beat there rival Caledonia.
Characterization:
Neil was always playing baseball in the beginning of the book he was all into it and this one girl. Then towards the end then he got super mean and he didn't like that girl. Right at the end though he started getting nice and saying sorry to his friends for everything he did.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes baseball or sports in general. It is a fun book for all ages. If a younger kid wanted to read it a parent should be used.
I liked this book because it was about baseball. The book itself was good overall.
It also caught my attention because it was based in Wisconsin which made it even more intriguing. I would definitely read the book series if there was one.
Plot summary:
Neil larsen loves baseball. He plays it year round and is pretty good at the sport. He lives in little old Wisconsin with his grandpa and while his mom lives in LA where she works. Jeff's best friends which are his baseball friends are all on the team. They all play year round there names are Jeff and Billy. All his friends problems bring Neil along with. They effect how he plays baseball and what happens during high school. Neil also was playing in a game and forgot it was a forceout and hit the runner right in the nose and broke it. Then he went and apologized. Nobody was mad at him and the family was super nice. Jeff also likes the guys sister. Then his mom came to town and that was a big no no. That summer she took him to LA to live with her and he hated it there. When he got back his, grandpa had a heart attack and he almost died, and then his mom came back and apologized to Neil about LA. After all that commotion, his ban from the baseball team is lifted. They then finish off the season with a good record and fought hard and beat there rival Caledonia.
Characterization:
Neil was always playing baseball in the beginning of the book he was all into it and this one girl. Then towards the end then he got super mean and he didn't like that girl. Right at the end though he started getting nice and saying sorry to his friends for everything he did.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes baseball or sports in general. It is a fun book for all ages. If a younger kid wanted to read it a parent should be used.
September 23, 2023
It may be risky to admit, but the only reason I have a copy of this book is because I stole it from my seventh grade ELA teacher. I stole it, because like I mentioned seventh graders are borderline criminals, and because even then I knew I had never come across something that felt more personally written for me. And the initial time I was playing very competitive baseball, and found myself both in love with playing, yet terrified to fully commit to it. I saw myself and Carter’s characters, bowl is the reliable, thinker, mature beyond his years. He is consistency is what makes him feel replaceable, by Jeff, by Sandy, and by his mom. Jeff is the unshakable Jock, he wants baseball to take him away from a hard life.
Will become sort of a tragic figure, even though his ending is peaceful and optimistic. The thesis of the story was how he and Jeff we’re going to make the MLB. By the end, she had a former friend who died, drunk, driving and losses to greatest loves: baseball, and Jeff.
But Carter does use the climax to display that no matter which direction your life goes after high school, it is just a start to the rest of your life.
Will become sort of a tragic figure, even though his ending is peaceful and optimistic. The thesis of the story was how he and Jeff we’re going to make the MLB. By the end, she had a former friend who died, drunk, driving and losses to greatest loves: baseball, and Jeff.
But Carter does use the climax to display that no matter which direction your life goes after high school, it is just a start to the rest of your life.
July 5, 2012
A good book for high schoolers about a high schooler coming of age.
November 14, 2018
This book is about a kid that eventually becomes a professional baseball player. Throughout his life he loved playing catcher for his baseball team, his mom didn’t have any faith in him and wanted him to move out to California with her. He visited her over the summer and they argued and argued then Bull comes to find out that his mom actually does believe in him and brags about him to all her friends.
My first reaction of the book was, that I fell in love with it. After a while I started getting bored of it until an event that’s really good happens, then it got interesting again.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy playing baseball, because it’s all about baseball and how people didn’t believe in him until he made it to the pros.
My first reaction of the book was, that I fell in love with it. After a while I started getting bored of it until an event that’s really good happens, then it got interesting again.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy playing baseball, because it’s all about baseball and how people didn’t believe in him until he made it to the pros.
October 9, 2018
This is a good read that many would enjoy. It’s about a boy who we follow as he goes through high school and takes us through his everyday life. It tells us about his personal struggles and triumphs. It talks about his love for baseball and his friendships that he makes along the way. It talks about real life problems. It talks about having to deal with legal issues and like how he handled it. Shows how he deals with his mom leaving him and his grandpa and barely seeing her. This is a good book and was a fun read. I would recommend this book.
October 9, 2023
Bull catcher is a pretty good book in my opinion. The author, Aiden R. Carter, reveals some important insight about the characters. The author's emphasis on baseball sheds some light on my love for baseball again. To me, it seems obvious that the book was gonna be mostly about baseball
I feel the author was hoping to make some of the book not entirely about baseball.
I feel the author was hoping to make some of the book not entirely about baseball.
November 19, 2014
The book Bull Catcher by Alden R. Carter is a good book, and here's why.
It is about a high school baseball player, Neil Larsen. But everyone calls him Bull. Bull lives with his grandpa in Wisconsin, but his mom lives in LA. I read this book because it is sports related and looked interesting.
The book is about Bull Larsen, a catcher for his school’s Varsity baseball team. Bul has a set of friends that he has had since he was in elementary school. Jeff, and Billy, and they are also on the baseball team, but they also have problems, problems that affect him too. Bull has to decide to help himself or his friends on multiple occasions. He also has to deal with his mom living in LA, so far away from Wisconsin, and his mom trying to get him to attend school in LA and forget about baseball, a silly game, as she called it.However, Bull knows that for him and his baseball it is best for him to stay in Wisconsin.I think that the book ending was good because it had many morale issues that tied back from the beginning of the book. My favorite part of the book is when Bull is volunteering at a wildlife camp, in the middle of the wilderness whe his instructor cuts himself in the leg with an ax and Neil and two other teenagers have to take him to the hospital that is miles away. it is intense and is a good subplot to the book. This book is similar to a lot of sports books, it has a little bit of everything in it, action, relationships,friendships, and sports. If you like books that are hard to put down and stop reading, then this is the book for you.
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June 10, 2015The book Bull Catcher by Alden R. Carter is a good book, and here's why.
It is about a high school baseball player, Neil Larsen. But everyone calls him Bull. Bull lives with his grandpa in Wisconsin, but his mom lives in LA. I read this book because it is sports related and looked interesting.
The book is about Bull Larsen, a catcher for his school’s Varsity baseball team. Bul has a set of friends that he has had since he was in elementary school. Jeff, and Billy, and they are also on the baseball team, but they also have problems, problems that affect him too. Bull has to decide to help himself or his friends on multiple occasions. He also has to deal with his mom living in LA, so far away from Wisconsin, and his mom trying to get him to attend school in LA and forget about baseball, a silly game, as she called it.However, Bull knows that for him and his baseball it is best for him to stay in Wisconsin.I think that the book ending was good because it had many morale issues that tied back from the beginning of the book. My favorite part of the book is when Bull is volunteering at a wildlife camp, in the middle of the wilderness whe his instructor cuts himself in the leg with an ax and Neil and two other teenagers have to take him to the hospital that is miles away. it is intense and is a good subplot to the book. This book is similar to a lot of sports books, it has a little bit of everything in it, action, relationships,friendships, and sports. If you like books that are hard to put down and stop reading, then this is the book for you.
It is about a high school baseball player, Neil Larsen. But everyone calls him Bull. Bull lives with his grandpa in Wisconsin, but his mom lives in LA. I read this book because it is sports related and looked interesting.
The book is about Bull Larsen, a catcher for his school’s Varsity baseball team. Bul has a set of friends that he has had since he was in elementary school. Jeff, and Billy, and they are also on the baseball team, but they also have problems, problems that affect him too. Bull has to decide to help himself or his friends on multiple occasions. He also has to deal with his mom living in LA, so far away from Wisconsin, and his mom trying to get him to attend school in LA and forget about baseball, a silly game, as she called it.However, Bull knows that for him and his baseball it is best for him to stay in Wisconsin.I think that the book ending was good because it had many morale issues that tied back from the beginning of the book. My favorite part of the book is when Bull is volunteering at a wildlife camp, in the middle of the wilderness whe his instructor cuts himself in the leg with an ax and Neil and two other teenagers have to take him to the hospital that is miles away. it is intense and is a good subplot to the book. This book is similar to a lot of sports books, it has a little bit of everything in it, action, relationships,friendships, and sports. If you like books that are hard to put down and stop reading, then this is the book for you.
June 6, 2013
Do you ever have that one team you can never beat? In my case it is cathedral but in this kids case it is the Caledonia High School Baseball. They are beyond good and Neil “Bull” Larsen had that happen to him every year in high school.
All through high school Neil Larsen played catcher for the varsity baseball team. When he wasn’t playing for the school Neil and his best friend Jeff played in the summer for a different team. They tried to play baseball all year long. During the winter the team would gather up and go to batting cages every other day. The school team always had trouble beating the best team in the league, Caledonia. They were always 1 or 2 games behind them at the end of the season. Finally on their senior year in the last inning they beat Caledonia 4-3 to win the championship.
The main character of the story is Neil “Bull” Larsen. They called him “Bull” because he was the biggest and best in the league. He is very athletic and plays baseball with his friends. In the story he injures another player, but he goes and apologizes to him and they end up being friends.
The theme of the story I think is not giving up when a team beats you that has beaten you for the last couple of years. Another lesson I learned was to help others when they are sad.
If you like books about sports ort like to play sports then this is a perfect book for you. I liked this book because I am in sports and I love books about sports.
All through high school Neil Larsen played catcher for the varsity baseball team. When he wasn’t playing for the school Neil and his best friend Jeff played in the summer for a different team. They tried to play baseball all year long. During the winter the team would gather up and go to batting cages every other day. The school team always had trouble beating the best team in the league, Caledonia. They were always 1 or 2 games behind them at the end of the season. Finally on their senior year in the last inning they beat Caledonia 4-3 to win the championship.
The main character of the story is Neil “Bull” Larsen. They called him “Bull” because he was the biggest and best in the league. He is very athletic and plays baseball with his friends. In the story he injures another player, but he goes and apologizes to him and they end up being friends.
The theme of the story I think is not giving up when a team beats you that has beaten you for the last couple of years. Another lesson I learned was to help others when they are sad.
If you like books about sports ort like to play sports then this is a perfect book for you. I liked this book because I am in sports and I love books about sports.
May 3, 2016
I am a highschool student, I have read the book “Bull Catcher” as my independent reading book in English class. I choose this book because its is about baseball, and i like baseball. This book interested me, because it was about a highschool kid. This book interested me by the journal entry in this book.
It is a pretty dest size book for page wise, Neil Bull Larsen loves baseball more than anything. But when he submits his four-year baseball diary as his senior project, he is prompted to take a closer look at his life and learns some important lessons about himself.
Off the field, Bull and Jeff bridge cultural differences when they transform a Vietnamese transfer student into a star pitcher; moon over pretty, unattainable girls and help their teammate Billy escape from an abusive father. At the end of senior year. I enjoy this book because its fix the sport theme i like. “Bull Catch”. I showed how he became a freshman to a senior, and playing baseball all of his high school career.
Another thing about this story i would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. He want to go to the championship, does he make it or didn't he make a bad play
I recommend this book if you enjoy a baseball themed book.
It is a pretty dest size book for page wise, Neil Bull Larsen loves baseball more than anything. But when he submits his four-year baseball diary as his senior project, he is prompted to take a closer look at his life and learns some important lessons about himself.
Off the field, Bull and Jeff bridge cultural differences when they transform a Vietnamese transfer student into a star pitcher; moon over pretty, unattainable girls and help their teammate Billy escape from an abusive father. At the end of senior year. I enjoy this book because its fix the sport theme i like. “Bull Catch”. I showed how he became a freshman to a senior, and playing baseball all of his high school career.
Another thing about this story i would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. He want to go to the championship, does he make it or didn't he make a bad play
I recommend this book if you enjoy a baseball themed book.
April 26, 2011
this book was ok but was not my favorite book ever. my favorite quote was bull saying, "you think you can steal on the bull?" this book is mainly about a high school baseball team making a run at the state championship. they are a small team but play with big hearts. the main character is bull and he is the catcher and is the best player and hits a lot of home runs. he is a very competitive player and doesn't like to lose but loves to win. during one game a kid tried to steal home on him and he tagged him right in the face and broke his nose. after that he said he was sorry and became friends with him. bull ended up with 15 home runs in the season and his team won the state title even when they lost their best pitcher from the year before because he felt like being lazy in the summer and not playing baseball.
August 25, 2014
I have recently finished reading a book called Bull Catcher. I liked it, but there were some obvious downers that helped give it it's rating of three stars. For example, there is a ton of swearing...They are high school baseball players. Second, there was some romance. Those were the two main downers. It was also a little sad though. Those were the reasons that it brought the book from five stars to three stars. I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't a big fan of baseball. It was a great story with lots of baseball, and that is what kept me reading. So, it may seem like the negatives outweigh the positives. Nonetheless, I liked the book because it was a good story and was a bout baseball, one of my favorite sports.
August 15, 2010
Neil “Bull” Larson is a young boy in high school who loves one thing more than anything else. Baseball. Bull is going through a tough period of time because he is also thinking about what he wants to do after high school. It would be his dream to play college ball. He also faces many decisions dealing with some of the women in his life. There are two girls in particular. One likes him, and the other he has had a crush on for years. Alden R. Carter has Bull make many big decisions throughout and the ultimate one is what he will end up doing for the rest of his life.
May 25, 2011
Bull Catcher
Alden R. Carter
fiction
9
young adults; baseball fans
Bull catcher is a tale of a middle school kid who loves baseball and is a great catcher. He is so good he try out for the varsity team and makes it.
soon he finds that it is what he wanted to do all along. He also finds true love <3.
Alden R. Carter
fiction
9
young adults; baseball fans
Bull catcher is a tale of a middle school kid who loves baseball and is a great catcher. He is so good he try out for the varsity team and makes it.
soon he finds that it is what he wanted to do all along. He also finds true love <3.
December 27, 2011
I enjoyed this book. It was a book about a catcher whose nick name was Bull. It was his story from ninth grade till graduation. I like how the story was infused with baseball, has a little about girls, a little about disappointment, and add in a few nontraditional families.
February 6, 2009
Hard book but somewhat easy to understand.
October 15, 2012
It was very good it had very interesting conflict.
November 30, 2012
Very good book!
August 18, 2019
Favorite book ever. Still is.
December 11, 2015
great book
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April 17, 2018In the book Bull Catcher the main character is Neil Larson, he goes by the nickname Bull. He is the catcher on his schools varsity baseball team. He expearances many struggles on and of the field. Some of the struggles are with his family and friends, others with trying to beat a specific team. For example his mom lives in L.A. while he lives in wisconsin with his grandpa. His mom wants him to move in with her and drop baseball. He on the other hand knows that it would be a grave mistake, because he has the potential to get a scholarship for it. Another is his friends that he has grown up with are getting in to trouble and he has to decide to save them or himself. His on field struggle is, there is a team that he has not been able to be for most of his high school career and him and his team have to find a way to beat them. A lot of these problems are what make the book very relatable to me drawing me farther and farther into the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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