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Mudville
Welcome to Moundville, where it's been raining for longer than Roy McGuire has been alive. Most people say the town is cursed. Right in the middle of their big baseball game against rival town Sinister Bend, black clouds crept across the sky and it started to rain. That was 22 years ago . . . and it's still pouring.
Baseball camp is over, and Roy knows he's in for a dreary, soggy summer. But when he returns home, he finds a foster kid named Sturgis sprawled out on his couch. As if this isn't weird enough, just a few days after Sturgis's arrival, the sun comes out. No one can explain why the rain has finally stopped, but as far as Roy's concerned, it's time to play some baseball. It's time to get a Moundville team together and finish what was started 22 years ago. It's time for a rematch.
Baseball camp is over, and Roy knows he's in for a dreary, soggy summer. But when he returns home, he finds a foster kid named Sturgis sprawled out on his couch. As if this isn't weird enough, just a few days after Sturgis's arrival, the sun comes out. No one can explain why the rain has finally stopped, but as far as Roy's concerned, it's time to play some baseball. It's time to get a Moundville team together and finish what was started 22 years ago. It's time for a rematch.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
22 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Kurtis Scaletta
19 books45 followersKurtis Scaletta is the author of several books for young readers including Mudville, which was short listed for the Mark Twain Readers Award, and The Tanglewood Terror, which was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. He lives in Minneapolis with wife and son and some cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
June 8, 2008
I had the pleasure of reading an early draft of Mudville, and am thrilled that it is about to be released. Scaletta is a talented new author, and Mudville is one of those rare first novels that feels like it is written by a seasoned pro, someone that knows the genre and his audience extremely well, and can both entertain and teach them without talking down to them. I would recommend this tale of baseball and brothers to fans of Chabon or Hiaasen or Spinelli, young sports aficionados, or anyone that enjoys a good old fashioned story.
October 23, 2017
Mudville is a book about how one small thing can change someone's life in a big way.
It had been raining in Moundville for over 20 years and then all of a sudden the rain stopped. The main characters, Roy ,and his foster brother, Sturgis decided to rebuild the old baseball field in their town and start a team. Roy, as a character changes and develops a more mature view of life throughout the novel which changes the tone to a more serious one. Also, he learns some lessons about character throughout the book too.
The author's message was to never give up on your dreams because Roy and his team had to prove that they could beat Sinister Bend in the annual baseball game, a tradition that began before it started raining. This novel and it's message made me feel as if people are trying to make things happen in the world and not just waiting for things to happen to them.
When the main characters, Sturgis and Roy, were fighting, it demonstrated how much pressure and stress can be caused by a little thing. Also, I had to stop and reflect during the baseball game and throughout the practices so I could figure out the relationships between the characters.
Overall, Mudville is a pretty good book for people that enjoy realistic fiction and sports related books.
It had been raining in Moundville for over 20 years and then all of a sudden the rain stopped. The main characters, Roy ,and his foster brother, Sturgis decided to rebuild the old baseball field in their town and start a team. Roy, as a character changes and develops a more mature view of life throughout the novel which changes the tone to a more serious one. Also, he learns some lessons about character throughout the book too.
The author's message was to never give up on your dreams because Roy and his team had to prove that they could beat Sinister Bend in the annual baseball game, a tradition that began before it started raining. This novel and it's message made me feel as if people are trying to make things happen in the world and not just waiting for things to happen to them.
When the main characters, Sturgis and Roy, were fighting, it demonstrated how much pressure and stress can be caused by a little thing. Also, I had to stop and reflect during the baseball game and throughout the practices so I could figure out the relationships between the characters.
Overall, Mudville is a pretty good book for people that enjoy realistic fiction and sports related books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2010
In a unique new twist on one of the more famous poems about our national pastime, Kurtis Scaletta makes us think outside of the box in more ways than one as he builds his interesting narrative.
Mudville centers around a heated baseball rivalry between two nearby towns, Mudville and Sinister Bend. It's a rivalry that has gone on from nearly as far back as the birth of baseball in the middle of the 1800s, with a new rivalry game being played every year between the kids who live in the two towns. Incredibly, though, Mudville has never won a single one of these games, and now the rivalry has been postponed indefinitely by the rain that pours from the sky day after day without respite. In fact, it's been raining nonstop for twenty-two years, and shows no sign of stopping soon.
Roy is a normal kid from Mudville who loves baseball and would relish the opportunity to meet Sinister Bend in another game, but baseball in waterlogged Mudville seems to be an unlikely proposition. When Roy's father takes in a troubled kid named Sturgis who is about Roy's age, though, things happen quickly; before anyone can believe it the dreary rains have subsided, and baseball is back for the town whose confines haven't seen a game in more than two decades.
Sturgis has secrets, though; secrets that will come to light for Roy gradually and have a significant effect on baseball in Mudville. As Roy learns more about Sturgis, he may find that his troubled friend is even more surprising than he ever seemed.
Author Kurtis Scaletta does a really good job of baseball "fan talk" in this book, snapping off keen comparisons and observations that will be familiar to students of the game and trigger a lightbulb or two in the minds of those that are newer to baseball. The baseball conversation is all very contemporary and loose while still being smart and poised, and I would say that this rhythm of information exchange is what the book accomplishes best of all.
Mudville is a good book for enticing young fans of baseball who are less than enthusiastic about embracing literature to read. The sports action will keep wandering minds interested, and the relational conflicts that are presented in the plot are worth reading about and make for a good story.
Mudville centers around a heated baseball rivalry between two nearby towns, Mudville and Sinister Bend. It's a rivalry that has gone on from nearly as far back as the birth of baseball in the middle of the 1800s, with a new rivalry game being played every year between the kids who live in the two towns. Incredibly, though, Mudville has never won a single one of these games, and now the rivalry has been postponed indefinitely by the rain that pours from the sky day after day without respite. In fact, it's been raining nonstop for twenty-two years, and shows no sign of stopping soon.
Roy is a normal kid from Mudville who loves baseball and would relish the opportunity to meet Sinister Bend in another game, but baseball in waterlogged Mudville seems to be an unlikely proposition. When Roy's father takes in a troubled kid named Sturgis who is about Roy's age, though, things happen quickly; before anyone can believe it the dreary rains have subsided, and baseball is back for the town whose confines haven't seen a game in more than two decades.
Sturgis has secrets, though; secrets that will come to light for Roy gradually and have a significant effect on baseball in Mudville. As Roy learns more about Sturgis, he may find that his troubled friend is even more surprising than he ever seemed.
Author Kurtis Scaletta does a really good job of baseball "fan talk" in this book, snapping off keen comparisons and observations that will be familiar to students of the game and trigger a lightbulb or two in the minds of those that are newer to baseball. The baseball conversation is all very contemporary and loose while still being smart and poised, and I would say that this rhythm of information exchange is what the book accomplishes best of all.
Mudville is a good book for enticing young fans of baseball who are less than enthusiastic about embracing literature to read. The sports action will keep wandering minds interested, and the relational conflicts that are presented in the plot are worth reading about and make for a good story.
July 29, 2011
It's been raining in Moundville everyday nonstop for the past twenty-two years ever since the annual Moundville/Sinister Bend Fourth of July baseball game was called for rain. Sinister Bend had never lost the game to Moundville in a hundred years. But that day, the game was stopped on account of rain, postponing Sinister Bend's victory, a game that has yet to be rescheduled until a mysterious break in the weather spurs a new generation of players to take the field. Moundville residents who have loyally stayed in town throughout the years of deluge are eager for the rematch, hoping for a first time victory. The town is eager for hope and sunshine. Sinister Bend doesn't even really exist any longer, flooded by the constant rain and oveflowing river. But the decendants find one another to field a team bent on victory. I'd like to say this is like Holes in that there is a story within a story, flaky parents, and a curse to break, but that's where the comparison ends. It just never comes together and the curse is murky at best. If I understod correctly, Sinister Bend wins because a Lakota Indian mad about relocating to a reservation and losing his opportunity to play baseball more than a century earlier decides to punish everyone in the surrounding areas during a childish temper tantrum guaranteeing an SB win each year. Sinister Bend wins year after year and is about to win again when the game is called on account of rain. Moundville has a good player who is injured early in the game. A delay may mean he will be able to play and the team will be more competitive. This apparently angers the long dead Lakota again and the rains set in for good. I just don't get it. The narrative never found its rhythm and I just didn't feel compelled to care much about the characters. The main character is named after Roy Hobbs from The Natural, a baseball literary giant, but the novel's message seemed forced and contrived. And confusing despite the deposit of plentiful baseball statistics and lingo. Not my favorite sports novel.
November 29, 2009
Scaletta Roy McGuire is like a lot of twelve year old boys, he loves baseball. Unlike a lot of twelve year olds he has to go to a neighboring town if he wants to play. It has rained every day in Moundville for twenty-two years straight. Some people think the town has a curse on it. Roy believes it all boils down to statistics. Roy goes away to baseball camp and when he returns he finds a foster kid living in his house. It had always been just he and his father. His mother was always jet setting around the world. Sturgis Nye has his own parental problems. He likes Roy’s dad. He always laughs at his jokes and seems to love his dad’s weird food concoctions. The one thing they have in common is baseball. Roy is a great catcher and Sturgis is a great pitcher. The day after Sturgis arrived the rain stopped. They go to the ball park to get it straightened up. They can play baseball now. Unfortunately the end of the rain means the end of Roy’s father’s business. His job was rainproofing houses. Things go along great until Sturgis decides to join the opposing team. I will be the first to say that I don’t care a whole lot for baseball. I played it some as a child but have never been to a professional game. I probably would not have read this book had it not been on the Cybils list. I am so glad it was. This was a great book. It was full of baseball lore yet I didn’t feel like I was reading all about baseball. The plot was so much deeper. Part of this was a coming of age story. I think this is one I will definitely purchase for my shelves. I will recommend this to all of my students and will be checking out some of this authors other books.
March 14, 2009
Like a baseball game, it had moments of intense interest and I was right there with the story, but then long moments when nothing much is going on and I lose interest. The back story of the Indian curse treats Indians as nothing more than a gimmick to solve a plot problem, and draws on the stereotype of the relationship between Indians and nature. He did make the effort to make his team multiculturally diverse, and with girls on it, too.
August 18, 2008
Loved it! Great characters, great baseball moments, a touch of whimsy, and a fabulous ending. HOLES meets THE NATURAL--only better!
Comes out in April 2009. Don't miss this one!
Comes out in April 2009. Don't miss this one!
October 8, 2017
The summary of the story is Moundville were playing baseball against Sinester Bend. Then it started to rain so they canceled the game. Then 22 years later Roy Mcguire thinks that a old indian man cursed them. Then it stopped raining then the whole town came outside. Then the mayor shows up and said next time they will play baseball. Then at night time they shot off fireworks.
I liked the story because its about baseball. I also liked it because they would go outside and play in the mud. Also Sturgis could throw very fast so they would have him pitch all the time. The he nailed a kid right in the throat.
I liked the story because its about baseball. I also liked it because they would go outside and play in the mud. Also Sturgis could throw very fast so they would have him pitch all the time. The he nailed a kid right in the throat.
May 20, 2019
In the book Mudville by Mike Lupica where the town has been raining for multiple years and hasn’t stopped. The rain finally stops and the town wants to go back and play there annual baseball game, Moundville versus Sinister Bend. Roy’s dad adopts a new kid named Sturgis who’s dad is in prison for murdering someone. He used to play in the MLB until he wasn’t good enough. Roy and Sturgis get into an argument and Sturgis joins Sinister Bend. Who will win, Moundville or Sinister Bend?
September 14, 2021
A good book, a story about a kid who loves baseball but his town has rained for over 20 years straight. Unfortunately at some points in the book it gets pretty slow which makes it 4 out of 5 stars. But all around a decent book
July 8, 2021
If you’re looking for a good baseball book this is not it. The story was predictable and fairly boring. I was looking for a “Sandlot” type of story, but didn’t find that magic in this novel.
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February 12, 2017I think the purpose for Kurtis Scaletta writing this book is for kids just wanting to have fun and not to get caught up on bad luck. I think another purpose is when you get a chance to do something in life you need to take it and to never give up in life. This story talks about what could go on in a kid’s life when families are going through difficult times like, when Roy`s dad business was closed down because it stopped raining. To never give up is an awesome thing to do and that’s exactly what Roy and his dad didn’t do.
The theme of this book is having fun in what you are doing in life and to never look back in the past, but look into the future. The main character of this story name is Roy McGuire. The story takes place in Moundville where it has been raining as long as Roy McGuire has been alive. The people in the story have said that the town is cursed and it all started twenty two years ago in the middle of the baseball game between the rival town, Sinister Bend.
The book is told in narration. Roy loves to play baseball but never can because it is always raining. Then one day after his family has a foster kid come stay with them, it stops raining. Then it was time to have a rematch of teams that had taken place twenty two years before.
Overall, I thought the book was good. I really like to read books about sports, especially baseball. But this book was more than a book about baseball. It was about looking into the future and not dwelling on the past. It was about family and the struggles that Roy's family overcame. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
The theme of this book is having fun in what you are doing in life and to never look back in the past, but look into the future. The main character of this story name is Roy McGuire. The story takes place in Moundville where it has been raining as long as Roy McGuire has been alive. The people in the story have said that the town is cursed and it all started twenty two years ago in the middle of the baseball game between the rival town, Sinister Bend.
The book is told in narration. Roy loves to play baseball but never can because it is always raining. Then one day after his family has a foster kid come stay with them, it stops raining. Then it was time to have a rematch of teams that had taken place twenty two years before.
Overall, I thought the book was good. I really like to read books about sports, especially baseball. But this book was more than a book about baseball. It was about looking into the future and not dwelling on the past. It was about family and the struggles that Roy's family overcame. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
May 8, 2009
Life is full of defining moments, and baseball is no exception. From Walt Dropo’s 15-hit run, to the immortal plays of Tinker to Evers to Chance to learning how to eat a hotdog (mustard and NO KETCHUP!), Mudville breathes new life into baseball legends and tells a great story along the way.
It’s all about the percentages. There’s a one in a billion chance that it will rain 8,030 consecutive days in a little town in the Dakotas, but with more than a billion towns that have existed on the earth, Moundville is the town that gets drenched. And it’s proof-positive of percentages that the rain started just in time to cause a rain-delay in the bottom of the fourth inning of the big game between Sinister Bend and Moundville. It has nothing to do with an old Indian curse or even the long-standing rivalry between the settlers and the natives, at least that’s what Roy McGuire would like to think.
So when Roy comes home from baseball camp to find his room invaded by his new foster brother, a descendant of the now-flooded town of Sinister Bend, Roy puts forth a worthy effort to make room in his life for Sturgis. But Sturgis doesn’t make himself easy to love or even like. While the boys finally connect with Sturgis playing pitcher to Roy’s catcher, there is still the issue of the unfinished game and Sturgis’ past standing between them.
Roy McGuire is my new favorite catcher—sorry, A.J. You know I will always love the 2005 White Sox, but I’ve got to make room in my heart for the up-and-coming players—and Moundville is my new field of dreams. Full of humor, great plays and characters that jump off the pages, Kurtis Scaletta has created a defining moment in baseball literature. And you don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the romance of the game and feel a connection to the players that you hope both win and lose the big game.
(And you know this book is good when a White Sox fan gives it five stars even though the Cubs win the Cross Town Classic that Roy watches. Although Scaletta assures me the Cubs did in fact win that game in real life, I'm still not sure this isn't just a fantasy novel.)
It’s all about the percentages. There’s a one in a billion chance that it will rain 8,030 consecutive days in a little town in the Dakotas, but with more than a billion towns that have existed on the earth, Moundville is the town that gets drenched. And it’s proof-positive of percentages that the rain started just in time to cause a rain-delay in the bottom of the fourth inning of the big game between Sinister Bend and Moundville. It has nothing to do with an old Indian curse or even the long-standing rivalry between the settlers and the natives, at least that’s what Roy McGuire would like to think.
So when Roy comes home from baseball camp to find his room invaded by his new foster brother, a descendant of the now-flooded town of Sinister Bend, Roy puts forth a worthy effort to make room in his life for Sturgis. But Sturgis doesn’t make himself easy to love or even like. While the boys finally connect with Sturgis playing pitcher to Roy’s catcher, there is still the issue of the unfinished game and Sturgis’ past standing between them.
Roy McGuire is my new favorite catcher—sorry, A.J. You know I will always love the 2005 White Sox, but I’ve got to make room in my heart for the up-and-coming players—and Moundville is my new field of dreams. Full of humor, great plays and characters that jump off the pages, Kurtis Scaletta has created a defining moment in baseball literature. And you don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the romance of the game and feel a connection to the players that you hope both win and lose the big game.
(And you know this book is good when a White Sox fan gives it five stars even though the Cubs win the Cross Town Classic that Roy watches. Although Scaletta assures me the Cubs did in fact win that game in real life, I'm still not sure this isn't just a fantasy novel.)
May 14, 2014
Muddville by Kutris Scaletta, was a very complex book. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. I liked the book, but there was something’s that I would change. I found the setting interesting, the characters interesting, but the plot was too much for me. I felt like there were way too many things going on and I didn’t know which one to worry about. Even though there were some disliked, I still enjoyed this book very much.
The main character is Roy . He is a 12 year old boy who loves Baseball. He doesn’t have the greatest family. His mom is always traveling so he barely sees her and his father is working most of the time. Is it has been raining in the town for almost 22 years and it doesn’t look like it is stopping anytime soon. If he plays baseball, he has goes to the town next door where it is dry. When Roy comes home from baseball camp (from the other town) he finds a boy named Sturgis sleeping on his couch. He comes to realize that he is his new adopted brother. His father brought him in from a nearby foster home. They soon become good friends. A few days later the impossible happens. The rain stops! People from the town think this is amazing, but for Roy’s family this is a disaster. This is because Roy’s dad’s job is to make houses water proof. Now no one needs this service anymore.
At this point in the book it was a little confusing for me. This is because there was too much going on. There were multiple problems. The first problem is, will Roy’s dad lose his job? The second problem involves Roy wanting to play in a rematch against a baseball team that was never finished from 22 years ago because of the rain. The third concern is will the rain come back.
When the book ended most of the problems were solved, but I didn’t feel much of a climax, I felt as if the problems were solved before they became big. Yet overall I very much enjoyed the story and the message. I still give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed it, but I was confused at some points. Something to end this review in a positive note was the message in the book and that was to “never give up even at the hardest times”
The main character is Roy . He is a 12 year old boy who loves Baseball. He doesn’t have the greatest family. His mom is always traveling so he barely sees her and his father is working most of the time. Is it has been raining in the town for almost 22 years and it doesn’t look like it is stopping anytime soon. If he plays baseball, he has goes to the town next door where it is dry. When Roy comes home from baseball camp (from the other town) he finds a boy named Sturgis sleeping on his couch. He comes to realize that he is his new adopted brother. His father brought him in from a nearby foster home. They soon become good friends. A few days later the impossible happens. The rain stops! People from the town think this is amazing, but for Roy’s family this is a disaster. This is because Roy’s dad’s job is to make houses water proof. Now no one needs this service anymore.
At this point in the book it was a little confusing for me. This is because there was too much going on. There were multiple problems. The first problem is, will Roy’s dad lose his job? The second problem involves Roy wanting to play in a rematch against a baseball team that was never finished from 22 years ago because of the rain. The third concern is will the rain come back.
When the book ended most of the problems were solved, but I didn’t feel much of a climax, I felt as if the problems were solved before they became big. Yet overall I very much enjoyed the story and the message. I still give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed it, but I was confused at some points. Something to end this review in a positive note was the message in the book and that was to “never give up even at the hardest times”
December 31, 2015
THIRD READ: Fall/Winter 2015
Read out loud to my girls. They loved it!
SECOND READ: 6/15/11
Loved it even more the second time around! It was fun to talk about at book club. We even made the chili dog pie and it was super good! But I don't think I'm brave enough to try any other of Mr. Maguire's concoctions.
FIRST READ: 2/19/09
Wow! I loved this book! The last 1/3 especially had me glued to the pages while I waited to find out how it ended. This is a great book for boys and girls alike, but oh how I wish that I had a son to share this book with! My nephews will have to do ... although the oldest is only 4 1/2.
The characters in this book were great! The kids acted just the way I would expect kids to act. Roy's dad is fabulous with his crazy dinners and "When it Rains, Sell Umbrellas" attitude. Roy is just what I would expect of a 12-year-old boy who thinks that baseball is life (I knew several of those boys when I was growing up). And Sturgis is intriguing. I just didn't really get him, who he was or what his story is, so it was interesting to see all those little pieces come to life throughout the book. My favorite character is probably a small Cuban boy whose only English words are his name and "Search Me" that all the kids nickname "Google".
MUDVILLE is a grand slam with it's story of baseball, life lessons, friendship and mystery. (Haha! How can I review a sports book with a sports metaphor thrown in somewhere??)
Go get your copy next week when the book is released on Tues, Feb 24th!
Read out loud to my girls. They loved it!
SECOND READ: 6/15/11
Loved it even more the second time around! It was fun to talk about at book club. We even made the chili dog pie and it was super good! But I don't think I'm brave enough to try any other of Mr. Maguire's concoctions.
FIRST READ: 2/19/09
Wow! I loved this book! The last 1/3 especially had me glued to the pages while I waited to find out how it ended. This is a great book for boys and girls alike, but oh how I wish that I had a son to share this book with! My nephews will have to do ... although the oldest is only 4 1/2.
The characters in this book were great! The kids acted just the way I would expect kids to act. Roy's dad is fabulous with his crazy dinners and "When it Rains, Sell Umbrellas" attitude. Roy is just what I would expect of a 12-year-old boy who thinks that baseball is life (I knew several of those boys when I was growing up). And Sturgis is intriguing. I just didn't really get him, who he was or what his story is, so it was interesting to see all those little pieces come to life throughout the book. My favorite character is probably a small Cuban boy whose only English words are his name and "Search Me" that all the kids nickname "Google".
MUDVILLE is a grand slam with it's story of baseball, life lessons, friendship and mystery. (Haha! How can I review a sports book with a sports metaphor thrown in somewhere??)
Go get your copy next week when the book is released on Tues, Feb 24th!
February 16, 2012
I am normally not a fan of sports books but this one hooked me right from the beginning.
Moundville (or Mudville as its citizens so fondly call it) has been stuck in a perpetual cycle of rainy days for the past 22 years. Why the rain? Locals link it to a Native American curse placed on the town when a disgruntled native is forced to stop playing baseball and is sent to the Dakota reservation. From the time of his departure, the Moundville team never again wins a baseball game against their rivals from Sinister Bend . . . and when a game is called because of rain and the Moundville never officially loses, the rain continues for the next two decades.
It is in this rainy "Mudville" that we meet Roy, whose dad played in that fateful game 22 years ago. Roy loves baseball and plays in nearby Sutton where it does not rain. He arrives home one day to find that his father has taken in a foster child, a boy named Sturgis who has a mysterious past and can throw a baseball like a pro. A day after Sturgis' arrival, the rain stops and baseball returns to Moundville. Ecstatic, Roy throws a baseball team together and is determined to finish the game against Sinister Bend that was never completed.
Although baseball is the predominant focus of this book, I found it to be a lot more than that. There were underlying threads of alcoholism, racism, divorce and family that provided the solid foundation for a very heartfelt coming of age story.
I am always on the lookout for books that will appeal to middle grade and middle school boys and Mudville certainly fits the bill!
Moundville (or Mudville as its citizens so fondly call it) has been stuck in a perpetual cycle of rainy days for the past 22 years. Why the rain? Locals link it to a Native American curse placed on the town when a disgruntled native is forced to stop playing baseball and is sent to the Dakota reservation. From the time of his departure, the Moundville team never again wins a baseball game against their rivals from Sinister Bend . . . and when a game is called because of rain and the Moundville never officially loses, the rain continues for the next two decades.
It is in this rainy "Mudville" that we meet Roy, whose dad played in that fateful game 22 years ago. Roy loves baseball and plays in nearby Sutton where it does not rain. He arrives home one day to find that his father has taken in a foster child, a boy named Sturgis who has a mysterious past and can throw a baseball like a pro. A day after Sturgis' arrival, the rain stops and baseball returns to Moundville. Ecstatic, Roy throws a baseball team together and is determined to finish the game against Sinister Bend that was never completed.
Although baseball is the predominant focus of this book, I found it to be a lot more than that. There were underlying threads of alcoholism, racism, divorce and family that provided the solid foundation for a very heartfelt coming of age story.
I am always on the lookout for books that will appeal to middle grade and middle school boys and Mudville certainly fits the bill!
February 28, 2009
It's a rare book that makes me want to play baseball. This book really captures everything about the game--the author (hi Kurtis) clearly loves the game, and it infuses every bit of every character. The rivalries, the importance of the game to this sodden town, the cultural and personal heritages caught up with baseball... every page of this book is a mash note to the sport, and I mean that in a good way.
It's not all baseball, though--there's a family story here, brotherhood and parents and general familial relationships to each other. It could be very sappy, but none of the characters are perfect--they're all flawed in their individual ways, giving even the characters with little screen time or deep importance to the plot dimension and earning them sympathy. It would be easy to give some of these characters no redeeming qualities, but Scaletta tempers the bad and/or neglectful behaviors with hints that these parents do love their children--they just can't be good parents, for whatever reason. Their flaws make them human.
Full disclosure: Kurtis is someone I'm proud and honored to call my friend, but I'd say these things even if he weren't. Because this is a sports book that interested me, even though I, the terminally graceless and uncoordinated, have no interest in sports, particularly baseball. I still don't fully understand in words what makes the game so great--but on a gut level, I think I understand it perfectly.
It's not all baseball, though--there's a family story here, brotherhood and parents and general familial relationships to each other. It could be very sappy, but none of the characters are perfect--they're all flawed in their individual ways, giving even the characters with little screen time or deep importance to the plot dimension and earning them sympathy. It would be easy to give some of these characters no redeeming qualities, but Scaletta tempers the bad and/or neglectful behaviors with hints that these parents do love their children--they just can't be good parents, for whatever reason. Their flaws make them human.
Full disclosure: Kurtis is someone I'm proud and honored to call my friend, but I'd say these things even if he weren't. Because this is a sports book that interested me, even though I, the terminally graceless and uncoordinated, have no interest in sports, particularly baseball. I still don't fully understand in words what makes the game so great--but on a gut level, I think I understand it perfectly.
September 5, 2009
Roy is a catcher. He idolizes Johnny Bench, the catcher who "changed the image of catchers from dumb guys who didn't know better to smart guys who handle pitchers and manage the defense" (162). He's a natural leader who plans to play ball in high school.
But he can't play in his own hometown.
See, it's been raining in Moundville for over 20 years.
Nobody knows why, although some have theories about a Native American curse, but it's been raining all that time. It first started raining in the middle of a baseball game on the fourth of July. Moundville against the rival town, Sinister Bend.
Well, one day, the rain stops.
I liked this. I hoped it would have a bit more of the fantasy element in it - it's really a book about baseball with a supernatural twist or two thrown in. Roy gets a team together, learns how much work goes into creating a diamond, gets to know his new "foster brother." And has parent issues. Realistic characterizations. - In fact, I think some might say that Roy is too good, but I found him realistically well intentioned.
The only things I was vaguely uncomfortable with was the surprisingly diverse cast (which isn't crazy obvious, but I keep an eye out for such things) and the Native Americans coming off as the enemy (according to some interpretations). But I think Scaletta is skating a fine line here, and I think he succeeds. Or maybe I'm still deciding.
Great cover.
But he can't play in his own hometown.
See, it's been raining in Moundville for over 20 years.
Nobody knows why, although some have theories about a Native American curse, but it's been raining all that time. It first started raining in the middle of a baseball game on the fourth of July. Moundville against the rival town, Sinister Bend.
Well, one day, the rain stops.
I liked this. I hoped it would have a bit more of the fantasy element in it - it's really a book about baseball with a supernatural twist or two thrown in. Roy gets a team together, learns how much work goes into creating a diamond, gets to know his new "foster brother." And has parent issues. Realistic characterizations. - In fact, I think some might say that Roy is too good, but I found him realistically well intentioned.
The only things I was vaguely uncomfortable with was the surprisingly diverse cast (which isn't crazy obvious, but I keep an eye out for such things) and the Native Americans coming off as the enemy (according to some interpretations). But I think Scaletta is skating a fine line here, and I think he succeeds. Or maybe I'm still deciding.
Great cover.
September 6, 2010
I thought I'd read every baseball book that was out there for young readers until I found this little gem on my shelves. The story is set in Moundville, where it has rained continuously for 22 years - ever since the day when it looked like the Moundville team just might beat the Sinister Bend team for the first time ever in 100 years of play. Narrator Roy's father was the hero for Moundville in that long ago game, and has since built a business creating elaborate rain protection systems. Roy and his dad live together pretty happily while Roy's mom jets around the world as a flight attendant - not divorced but not around. But then one day Roy returns home from baseball camp to find foster child Sturgis in his home. Being essentially a good kid, Roy welcomes Sturgis and soon finds the foster boy is a gifted pitcher. Things get particularly interesting when the rain one day just stops. Before you know it, the old rivalry is on again, and things get dicey when Sturgis leaves the Moundville team to play for archrivals Sinister Bend. A lovely little baseball fantasy this, akin to Field of Dreams, made appealing through the main character and narrator Roy, who is a peach of a boy - a truly and thoroughly believable (in a fantasy!) great kid.
March 29, 2015
I am not a sports person so a book about baseball has to be pretty good to hold my attention. Mudville turned out to be more than just a book about baseball. Sure baseball was featured throughout the book, but the main story was really about the relationships between the characters...and between the towns of Moundville and Sinister Bend. We really get a good look at the characters of Roy and Sturgis and Roy's dad in this book and how they interact with each other. They all have their faults and their good points, but in the end they are family and they come together as family. I thought their journey through the book was very real to life. Sturgis is the troubled kid who wants to fit in but fights back and resists his new family. Roy has always know a loving father, even if he has had an absent mother. He is fairly secure in who he is and that has shaped him and his interactions just as Sturgis's background has shaped him. Roy's father is a decent man just trying to make the best of every situation. Sure he doesn't always do the greatest job but you know he is trying. And then you have the towns and the rivalry and the curse and the GAME. It all makes for a fun book that the kids really enjoyed.
October 7, 2011
My problem with this book was that it was told in first person, and some of the descriptions did not seem like they came from a twelve-year-old. Some of the language was too poetic. Also, at one part the narrator tries to imagine a 1980s museum, which would've contained Wham! records, Cabbage Patch dolls, Reagan memorabilia, etc. Well, how would a 12-year-old in modern times even know what would be in a 1980s museum, unless he happened to acknowledge watching a TV special about the 1980s or something like that? I felt like I needed an explanation as to how he would know that, because most 12-year-olds would have no idea what was around in the 1980s. (I just asked my almost-12-year old and she only knew Cabbage Patch dolls of those above 3; she had no idea what Wham! was or even who Reagan was). I feel like this slipped through editorial cracks.
The jokes about the father's bad cooking got a little old too. The ending was beautifully written but again, too poetic in spots to be the authentic voice of a current 12-year-old. Third person (or even an adult retelling this story from his childhood) would've been much more authentic, and would've freed the author to flex his clear poetic muscles.
The jokes about the father's bad cooking got a little old too. The ending was beautifully written but again, too poetic in spots to be the authentic voice of a current 12-year-old. Third person (or even an adult retelling this story from his childhood) would've been much more authentic, and would've freed the author to flex his clear poetic muscles.
Read
January 29, 2012I didn't read it all, but I'm finished. I don't feel it's fair for me to rate it. The writing is highly competent, though the storytelling didn't work for me. I bought it on the recommendation that it was an excellent book even if you don't know anything about baseball or dislike the sport, as I do. Well, it seems to me that liking baseball, at least a little, is a requirement. Halfway through the book, the mystery and magical realism stopped being engaging as baseball-ness took over. I struggled through several chapters and eventually couldn't keep going. I don't like baseball and that was all the main characters cared about, other than a minor crush the lead character had on a girl. The main character isn't likable. You don't hate him, either. He's just immature and insensitive and self-absorbed. I assume he becomes a better person by the end.
I found the early going of the book very engaging. There was magic and mystery wrapped up in baseball. And then there only seemed to be baseball and maybe the magic came back later but I was tuned out already. As I said, the writing itself was excellent. If I were in the target age group and liked baseball okay, I'd probably read the whole thing and love it.
I found the early going of the book very engaging. There was magic and mystery wrapped up in baseball. And then there only seemed to be baseball and maybe the magic came back later but I was tuned out already. As I said, the writing itself was excellent. If I were in the target age group and liked baseball okay, I'd probably read the whole thing and love it.
March 5, 2013
The purpose for the author of writing the book was to say that just because something goes bad in your life you don’t dwell on it, you move on and you can’t let the bad luck ruin your life. Roy’s father had a business that could only work when it rained and it stopped raining and he could not run his business anymore but he did not give up he thought of a new business he could run.
The theme of the book is not to stay upset about the past because you can’t fix it now. You have to worry about what is ahead of you. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That is how Roy’s father looked at life.
This book was told in a narration, the book was told it has been raining for the last 25 years. Roy loves baseball but can never play because it rains so much, then one day out of nowhere it just stops raining. The rest of the book tells how they fix the fields and how they replay the 4th of July game from 25 years ago.
I thought the book was alright, I thought I talked more about the lives of Roy his father and the adopted brother. There wasn’t enough baseball in it like I thought there would be. It took me a long time to get into the book, it was not very exciting. By the end of the book it got better and that is when I started to get into the book.
The theme of the book is not to stay upset about the past because you can’t fix it now. You have to worry about what is ahead of you. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That is how Roy’s father looked at life.
This book was told in a narration, the book was told it has been raining for the last 25 years. Roy loves baseball but can never play because it rains so much, then one day out of nowhere it just stops raining. The rest of the book tells how they fix the fields and how they replay the 4th of July game from 25 years ago.
I thought the book was alright, I thought I talked more about the lives of Roy his father and the adopted brother. There wasn’t enough baseball in it like I thought there would be. It took me a long time to get into the book, it was not very exciting. By the end of the book it got better and that is when I started to get into the book.
October 6, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed Mudville. The characters drew me in, the background story kept popping up with a little clue here and a little clue there, so that the pieces were not all together until the very end. I’d like a sequel.
*Summary/Booktalk: Mudville. For 20 long years the rain has fallen on Moundville, causing the neighboring townies to call it Mudville. The rain started with a baseball game and it was a the dream of baseball that …. Well, you’ll just have to read this if you don’t want to be all wet.
1.Roy’s dad is a central figure at the beginning of the book, but fades quickly to being a side character. Why do you think the author changes the role of the dad?
2.After reading chapter 1, predict 3 things that will happen by the end of the novel.
3.Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the characters of Roy and Sturgis.
4.If you were the team captain, instead of Roy, where would you have played the members of the Moundville team?
*Summary/Booktalk: Mudville. For 20 long years the rain has fallen on Moundville, causing the neighboring townies to call it Mudville. The rain started with a baseball game and it was a the dream of baseball that …. Well, you’ll just have to read this if you don’t want to be all wet.
1.Roy’s dad is a central figure at the beginning of the book, but fades quickly to being a side character. Why do you think the author changes the role of the dad?
2.After reading chapter 1, predict 3 things that will happen by the end of the novel.
3.Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the characters of Roy and Sturgis.
4.If you were the team captain, instead of Roy, where would you have played the members of the Moundville team?
January 23, 2013
Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta The main character is Roy McGuire 12 years old. It has been raining longer then Roy has been alive and he does not expect it to end soon. My favorite part was right when he got home from baseball camp, he found a new family member and then just a few days later it stops raining after 22 years. This is my favorite part because it takes everyone by surprise.
I think the author wrote this because she wanted to show anything can happen at anytime even when you are not expecting it. How this all started when they were playing their rival school in baseball season and it started to rain and never stopped, they never finished the game. Now it has stopped raining it is time to finish what they started 22 years ago. I didn't really like this book all that much but do recommend it to people for a pretty easy read and there are some interesting parts but overall i didn't like it all that much.
I think the author wrote this because she wanted to show anything can happen at anytime even when you are not expecting it. How this all started when they were playing their rival school in baseball season and it started to rain and never stopped, they never finished the game. Now it has stopped raining it is time to finish what they started 22 years ago. I didn't really like this book all that much but do recommend it to people for a pretty easy read and there are some interesting parts but overall i didn't like it all that much.
November 15, 2009
Roy is a baseball fan. A serious one. And like most serious baseball fans, he likes statistics. That's why he'll tell you that the fact that it's been raining in his hometown of Moundville every day for the past 22 years is merely a matter of statistics. Baseball used to be important in Moundville, and every year there was a game against nearby rival town Sinister Bend. Because of the rain, though, most kids in Moundville don’t play baseball anymore. I was expecting this book to tie in with the poem somehow, but other than a brief reference early on, it doesn’t, not that it mattered. I enjoyed this book that at its heart is about family and baseball. Lots of references and little tidbits about real baseball players thrown in for serious fans, or kids who want to learn more. I liked it.
December 17, 2016
Pretty predictable and the main character was annoying most of the time.
November 23, 2008
I loved this book.
This is amazing because the plot revolves around baseball, and what I know about the game you could write down on one side of a single sheet of paper using large print and have plenty of room left over -- and frankly, I don't care about baseball as a rule either. So if I'd seen this book in the store, I would have skimmed right past it without giving it a second thought, dismissing it as One of Those Books for Boys Who Love Sports.
I would have been wrong. And I would have missed out on a wonderful book with engaging characters, a compelling story, intriguing hints of mystery, believable human relationships, dynamic prose, and yes, interesting descriptions of baseball.
This is amazing because the plot revolves around baseball, and what I know about the game you could write down on one side of a single sheet of paper using large print and have plenty of room left over -- and frankly, I don't care about baseball as a rule either. So if I'd seen this book in the store, I would have skimmed right past it without giving it a second thought, dismissing it as One of Those Books for Boys Who Love Sports.
I would have been wrong. And I would have missed out on a wonderful book with engaging characters, a compelling story, intriguing hints of mystery, believable human relationships, dynamic prose, and yes, interesting descriptions of baseball.
August 1, 2009
I finally sat down and finished Mudville the other day. I had read most of the book a few weeks earlier, but I had been putting off finishing it. I'm glad I went back to it.
I'm not a boy, or a huge baseball fan, but I still enjoyed the book. The characters were honest, even with their flaws, and I never felt like I was being presented with a stereotypical pre-teen. The Native American themes seem to have bothered some other readers, but for the most part it worked for me. Growing up in Wisconsin that's the sort of thing you hear a lot of, so it didn't seem like a corny device.
As a side note, I was lucky to read a very early draft of the book, and I was really pleased to see the new ending Scaletta had written. It really made the story come full circle.
I'm not a boy, or a huge baseball fan, but I still enjoyed the book. The characters were honest, even with their flaws, and I never felt like I was being presented with a stereotypical pre-teen. The Native American themes seem to have bothered some other readers, but for the most part it worked for me. Growing up in Wisconsin that's the sort of thing you hear a lot of, so it didn't seem like a corny device.
As a side note, I was lucky to read a very early draft of the book, and I was really pleased to see the new ending Scaletta had written. It really made the story come full circle.
October 21, 2010
Back in the day, Sinister Bend was just a trading post run by Native Americans, pioneers settled nearby creating Moundville. Settlers taught the locals how to play baseball and when the natives starting beating the them, a rivalry was born. Moundville always lost but 22 years ago it came to a halt when in the middle of the game it started to rain. Its been raining ever since. Chapter One of the book starts - To understand baseball, you have to understand percentages. For anyone not into baseball, this is still a wonderful story about what happens when the rain stops and the game is put back together. Characters are sharp and interesting. There are several surprises that you don’t see coming. Very much enjoyed this read.
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