Hit & Miss

The Contract #2

by Derek Jeter

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s own life, this middle grade novel is about what it takes to be a champion on and off the field.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Fiction, Childrens, Kids, Middle Grade

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kalamazoo Gazette is the daily newspaper of Kalamazoo, Michigan, home to young baseball sensation known as Derek Jeter. Our reporters are on the field with Derek right now profiling a ten question interview with him. Some of his most recent occurings are documented in his very own novel, Hit and Miss, and many of the questions asked today will be based on his novel.

Interviewer: Our first question for you Derek is, what do people think of you while playing baseball within your town?

Derek: Well fortunately at this point people think very highly of me which makes me happy, but as of late I haven’t been my best at the plate.

Interviewer: Can you explain those struggles at the plate?

Derek: The season just started and through the first four games I am yet to get a hit, but It’s a long season and eventually If I stay positive I will get back into the way things usually are.

Interviewer: Well good luck at the plate Derek we hope you break out of your struggles very soon. Anyway, our next question for you is, are your parents helpful when it comes to baseball?

Derek: Yes, for sure. Both my mom and my dad are very helpful, my dad helps more with the physical baseball playing kind of stuff while my mom helps equalize school with baseball, so yes they are great and really encourage me to play to the best of my ability.

Interviewer: That sounds fantastic, you are really lucky to have such helpful parents. Onto the next question, in your recent novel Hit and Miss, you become friends with a new kid named Dave, we’d like to know, how difficult was it helping Dave with baseball?

Derek: At first I really didn’t like Dave so it was a little awkward but he’s actually really nice and he’s big so if his swing gets right the ball can go a long way, so it wasn’t easy but it wasn’t super hard either.

Interviewer: Well that’s good to hear, our next question for you is, what did your friends first think of Dave?

Derek: It was tough because Dave is part of an entire different social class than all of us and some things that we do make it seem like he’s taking a step down from where he’s at, And just like me, they didn’t really like him either, but after some time everyone started to like him. So in the end my friends welcomed him and after a little bit they appreciated him a little bit more.

Interviewer: You guys must have been very welcoming and that’s a huge act of kindness that I’m sure is much appreciated by his parents and many others within the town.

Derek: Thanks!

Interviewer: Your very welcome, and our next question is, what made you give Dave a chance?

Derek: All my friends with myself included kind of stereotyped him to the average snobby rich kid, so we immediately assumed he wasn’t a very nice kid. But he was on our baseball team so we had to interact with him and we really started to like him. That is when we decided to give him a chance, and it was well worth it.

Interviewer: That is an excellent story, now lets zoom in more on what’s going on right now with baseball for you, what in your game do you think needs the most work right now?

Derek: Mechanically I think I’m good, but I need to bring a more positive and aggressive approach to the plate, I can’t be afraid to get out, I have to be confident I will get on base, I think that is what needs the most improvement at this point in time.

Interviewer: I’m sure you will be able to make that adjustment. Next, what is your end goal in terms of playing baseball?

Derek: My end goal is to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. If you don’t set the goal high you will never reach it and that is exactly what i’m doing with this goal.

Interviewer: That is a great mentality and a huge goal, but why the Yankees specifically?

Derek: I want to play shortstop for the Yankees because I used to live in New, Jersey, and my grandparents still live there and whenever I visit we always go to a game together and they are my favorite team.

Interviewer: Well that’s going to take a lot of work, and I am sure you are up to the task! That leads us right into our next question, how much practice and work to you put in to baseball?

Derek: Right after school I always do my homework first, and as soon as I’m done I always play baseball with my friends, and if I’m not doing that I’m at my team’s practice.

Interviewer: Wow you are definitely committed to the sport. One of our final questions for you Derek is, why are you so into baseball, and where does your commitment to the game come from?

Derek: My passion for baseball definitely comes from my Dad. He played baseball in college and introduced me to the game. My commitment comes from how much I love playing, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do.

Interviewer: That is great reasoning because people forget that baseball’s a game, and your supposed to have fun playing it.

Derek: Absolutely, I would never do something I don’t have to do unless it was something I enjoyed as much as I enjoy playing baseball.

Interviewer: That’s fantastic Derek, and our final question for you is, does your family come to cheer you on if so, is this helpful to your performance?

Derek: My Dad will show up to everyone one of my games, while my mom makes her best effort to come with my sister, but a lot of times it’s difficult for her because she has to take care of her. And yes them cheering me on only motivates me to put on the best show I can on the field.

Interviewer: Well it was great being here with you Derek, and I wish you the best of luck in the future, and hope to find you at Yankee Stadium one day.

Derek: I appreciate that and hopefully next time you see me I will be in Pinstripes.

[Felix Raeber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate this book five star because I have always loved sports books by Derek Jeter and this one is about him in a new season of baseball. This year he is on the Red Sox team with his friends (Vijay and Dave). Derek gets the same number 13, and also plays shortstop the position where he wants to play.

I recommend this book to people who like the author Derek Jeter. He has many adventures in this book like playing on a new team and he is trying to get to his dream of being a baseball star. Will he win the championship game and become what he wants to be when he grows up?

[Brody S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme for this book is when you face challenges in life, push through it and you will get through it.

[Chris Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. Derek gets on a team he thinks is really good except one player named Dave who he kind of felt bad for because Dave was getting bullied of his inability to play so Derek decides to play golf with Dave because that was Dave's favorite sport. Derek's thought changed when his team goes 0-2 and meanwhile Derek's in an 0-8 slump. Next game changes his thought on his new team. His team won and he got his first hit of the season and Dave hit a homerun. Then Derek's little sister tells him that she's being bullied by a kindergardener. Then Derek gets so mad at the kid he makes him cry and next thing he knows hes in the office talking with the principle. This made Derek super upset and mad at himself. Eventaully his team get's in the playoffs and before Derek knew it, he was in the champion chip against his favorite team, the Yankees. They end up losing the champion chip, but Derek said the season was fun and he had a great season. Meanwhile he had just remembered that since school was out, he was going to his aunts house. He had also just remembered that he had promised Dave that he would play golf as soon as the baseball season was over. He ended up getting to golf with his friend for the whole summer.
This book was great and it taught many lessons like even the stars weren't always stars. It also teaches how to make friends and prevent bullying. This book was good for kids into baseball like me and want to be really good at baseball.

[Mason Roane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book it talks about Derek's life when he was younger, and how he signed a contract about rules he follows. In this book Derek plays for his young little league team the Boston Red Sox. Derek meets a young boy and teaches him about the game of baseball, while the boy teaches Derek about golf.

I personal think that this book is amazing. I would recommend it to people who play sports or just like sports.

[Braiden Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good because It tells me about how Derek Jeter as a kid and how he has a love for baseball. My favorite part is the whole book. If I had to rate this book 1 to 10 it would be 10 out of 10
I would tell everyone to rad this book.

[Maggie Downs]

I reviewed this book at barnesandnoble.com

[Alek Shweiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Hit and Miss written by Derek Jeter and Paul Mantell talks about the challenges and experiences Jeter faces during his hard work to get into the MLB.

One big thing about Jeter when he was growing up is he made a contract with his family. One of the things on his contract was “Think before you act.” This book also has some info about how Derek dealt with the new kid coming into his school and how he made the boy feel comfortable. He also had 10 life lessons that he faced when he was a kid.

Jeter had to face many challenges and experiences while growing up as a kid.
One experience that I think was the biggest challenge this book that Jeter had to face was the new kid coming into Derek’s school. I think that this was a challenge because Jeter’s friends were making fun of the new kid because he was rich. Derek was trying to let the new kid in but his friends were making it very difficult. This was also a challenge because the new kid was very shy and I think that Jeter had to find a way to let the new kid in without making it sound like he was going to make fun of him. One example from the book was one day after practice, Jeter came up to the new kid and started to talk with him, but the new kid started to try and walk away from Derek. He also said you’re just like all the other kids, you will make fun of me and pick on me. I also think that this was big for Derek because his best friend was also making fun of the new kid, and this could affect Derek’s relationship with his best friend.

Derek was very cautious about not breaking his contract.

Derek and his parents made the contract to teach Derek to be responsible. One example is when Derek went with one of his friends without letting his parents know where he was going to go. His parents then said because he broke the contract, then he wouldn’t be able to go to the Yankees game. Derek then had to earn his parent’s trust back. The contract was a big part of Derek’s childhood.

I was interested in reading this book because I am a big baseball fan, and I know that Derek Jeter was a very good baseball player. I play baseball and I want to play in the MLB. But I wanted to know what a baseball player’s childhood was like and what he did to get into the MLB because then I could learn from the book. I also thought that in some parts of the book I felt like I was in the book. I also feel that I made a lot of connections to this book. I recommend reading this book.



Alek Shweiki

[Charlie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there is no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” - Derek Jeter. In the Autobiography, Hit & Miss, Derek Jeter and Paul Mantell start off by introducing Derek, and
his father Charles. They go to play basketball, and then introduce his mother
Dorothy, and his little sister Sharlee. This book is about how Derek Jeter
growing up as a kid. He really is a normal kid he goes to school, plays little
league baseball, and makes new friends. The main lessons of this book are to always
follow the rules, never judge someone on how they look, and think before you
act.

This book was really good, it is a great book if you’re a baseball fan, especially if you are a Yankee or Derek Jeter fan. This book was very noteworthy, every time you started reading it you could not stop, you just have to know what happens next. The book teaches things like if there's a new kid at school or in town, go and talk to them and maybe come out with a new friend. Also, it teaches kids to be humble and try new things. It also teaches kids to respect your parents and follow the rules. What I mean by this, is the book hints to you that if you want a healthy and loving relationship with your parents it suggests that you make boundaries with your parents, like you have to be home by a certain time on weekdays, or no hanging out with friends until your homework is done. Derek had a contract growing up with certain rules he had to follow in order do have special rewards that’s why I mentioned that. One of the most important lessons in this book is never judge someone before meeting them. You could look at someone and think you know how that person lives, but if you have never talked to them or even meet them you do not know a lot. From the book there is a new kid in town, and he is on their baseball team. Half the kids haven’t talked to them and think they know everything, but they don’t. Derek actually talks to him and realizes he is not as people see him, that is why you never judge someone.
I recommend this book to sixth and seventh graders that play or love baseball. Just because its about Derek Jeter, one of the greatest baseball players ever and how he grew up playing baseball and making new friends, and how he formed into the person he was. I really liked this book because it just covers how Derek and friends finish the school year and start the new little league baseball season. This book is great for a middle school grade level just because, it is not that long, it is about a past professional sports player and how he described his life growing up, and it teaches valuable life lessons that you can use in your personal life to live a good lifestyle.

[Kyle Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a kid with great baseball skills that lives in your town. But, when you walk by him you don’t think he’s a great player, you just think he’s an ordinary kid. Think of yourself in a town in Michigan playing on the same ball field as this kid who never thought was amazing, but when you see him play you get blown away by his unbelievable skills. You shake hands with him at the end of the game and all you can think is dang this kid can make the big leagues. This is what you’ll get if you choose to read Hit & Miss.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this was how it was kinda about a pro athlete’s childhood. It talked about how he always had to do a bunch of stuff and do everything right to be able to keep playing baseball. It showed how a kid who really only cared about baseball, still had really good grades was the second smartest in his grade.

A second thing I enjoyed about the book was how it showec how kids think and feel. It showed how Derek felt when he tried something different. There a lot of competition which is how a lot kids think. Most of the things that kids the thought kinda showed how I was as a kid.

Hit & Miss was one of those books that made me understand how hard pro athletes had to work. I read it like any other kid that likes sports books. When I finished this book I wanted to read again 5 times.

[Yashraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book. This book talks about how he helped a teammate improve at baseball. It also shows a controversial topic about breaking rules for the greater good of someone else. This book has a contract. This contract is very important to Derek Jeter. If he follows this contract he will get good things like watching the Yankees vs Tigers but on the other hand, if he doesn't follow the contract he will lose some privileges. It is like life. This book is really connected to life. Lastly, I would recommend this book if you wanted to know a little bit of where Derek Jeter background. I can connect to this book because I play baseball. There are highs and lows in every baseball season. The most important thing to me in the season is getting better at the sport. This book is really good at detail. One example of this is in page 23 it syas " It was warm and sunny outside. The last of the snow piles in the corner of the schoolyard had struken to almost nothing." ( Jeter, 23). I don't see anywhere that I can correct this book because it is well written This is why I think this book is why I would recommend this book.

[Carson Thurber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hit and Miss is written by baseball legend, Derek Jeter. He accounts what his baseball season was like in 8th grade. I give this book a four-star rating. The description was a considerable factor that influenced my rating. The way the author describes the different events on the baseball field is excellent. It makes you feel like you are the game yourself. A second strong trait of the book is the relatability. I can relate to the book because Derek is similar in age to me in the novel. This makes the book more engaging and realistic. I only have one complaint about the book. It is just under two hundred pages. It is always nice to have a quick read, but I feel like the author could have made it longer to develop the characters even more in the novel. I suggest this book to any high schooler or middle schooler interested in baseball. Derek Jeter fans would also enjoy the novel. Personally, I would recommend this book to Kale Fountain and Eli Holt. Overall, this is an exciting and interesting quick that would appeal to multiple demographics.

[Sharon Heaverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book and the first book in the series for my grandsons. They are huge Yankee fans and Derek Jeter fans. Of course, I had to read the book also. The series is written for middle grade students and is based on Derek Jeter's life through his younger days. In this book, he is in Little League playing on the Red Sox team. After a losing season in the previous book, this year Derek and his teammates are hoping for a winning season. Derek shows his leadership skills on and off the field while becoming friends with a newly arrived student from California who is also a teammate. These books are very good reads for any baseball fan. They are based on the contract Derek had with his parents and are the basis for his Turn2Foundation.org
I would recommend this to all middle grade students that are interested in baseball. Jeter's life lessons are ones we can all base our lives on.

[Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is a 4 star.

I really like the simplicity in this read. The way you only have to keep track of Derek and his family and baseball life is very easy and interesting to read.

The book is mainly about Derek and how he juggles his social life with friends like Vijay, his best friend who he got put on the red sox team with this year. When a new kid in town comes in he needs some friends and that is what Derek tries to be to this new kid, Dave. Dave is often rejected by Derek's friends because they think he is a rude rich kid. If you would like to find out if they win the championship or if Dave ends up fitting in I recommend you read this book.

All in all, this is a good book for 10-17-year-old kids who are into baseball and like an easy read.

[Will McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about some events that took place in Derek Jeter’s life as a fourth grader. He plays baseball and is a really good athlete. He is a great student and a great kid. Derek goes through school and life and the challenges that come with that. He has one sibling, a little sister and two loving parents. He has to follow a strict contract that he has with him and his parents. He has one big dream, play shortstop for the New York Yankees.

[Andrew Bradt]

This book is very exciting and interesting, it starts off when Derek Jeter, one of the most well-known baseball players ever was just a kid. This book talks about what Derek encountered and went through during his career as a Major League Baseball player and his life off the field from when he was just a young kid to the present. This is a great book for any sports fans that want to get to know more about him and his life.

[Tomas Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I thought of this book is that it was very well written. In this book, Derek starts up a new baseball little league season. He meets a new kid and becomes friends with him even tho everyone else calls him names. He also in the book sticks up for his sister through tuff times and add a new sport to his list. Golf

[Ben I · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked hit and miss. It is about Derek Jeter as a fourth grader and his experience playing baseball. I think it is really cool to see how he was brought up and some insights as to why was so good and an all time baseball legend. Throughout the story, Derek brings his fourth grade team from an average team to the championship game. Fun, exciting, well written book.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overall book that teaches good life principles to kids. My son really enjoyed these books and so encouraged me to read them. I like the principles they teach, but they do lack a little in some development portions. That being said, I think they are a good resource to teach kids, especially baseball fans, solid life principles.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! All the rules in here are just like mine. That is only because I play softball basketball and track. But I also have a little sister. And this but just speaks to me. It shows you that if you lose it’s not the end of the world. You’ll have more games. And always that before you acted.

[Jill Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit didactic, but it probably works because it's Derek Jeter talking. He definitely wants to send a positive message of working hard and being a good friend. Lots of baseball talk, which will be interesting to baseball fans.

[Gerry Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book for baseball fans

My son cost like chose 4 stars. I think he likes the baseball parts and less the issues and challenges Derek faces. As for me, I trust that the positive messaging wrapped in story will have an impact on him.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book becasue it teaches you to never give up and that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. My favorite part of the book was when Derek won the championship with his team. I also liked how it came from the perspective of someone my age.

[Eliot Sheahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i frogot a lot about the book but it is really good and if u are a fan of baseball or derek jeter u will like this book

[Brig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple language, good morals, not bad all the way around. This book is as good as the first one. I would recommend these books to just about any kid (especially boys) in the 8-14 age-range.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This take Derek through fourth grade, introduces a new friend, Dave, who show him how to play golf. This season he plays for the Red Sox.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book.

[Reving · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2018...

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book taught a good life lesson on how to never give up and if u like baseball it will be good for you!!!

[Daniel Giroux-Pare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbelievable...Derek is portrayed as TOO nice.