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A Game of Catch
Full-color watercolor paintings highlight an insightful story about neighborhood boys and baseball, first published in The New Yorker, by the 1987 Poet Laureate of the United States.
- GenresRealistic Fiction
29 pages, Library Binding
First published March 1, 1994
1 person is currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Richard Wilbur
255 books72 followersEarly years :
Wilbur was born in New York City and grew up in North Caldwell, New Jersey.He graduated from Montclair High School in 1938, having worked on the school newspaper as a student there. He graduated from Amherst College in 1942 and then served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. After the Army and graduate school at Harvard University, Wilbur taught at Wesleyan University for two decades and at Smith College for another decade. At Wesleyan, he was instrumental in founding the award-winning poetry series of the University Press.He received two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and, as of 2011, teaches at Amherst College.He is also on the editorial board of the literary magazine The Common, based at Amherst College.He married Charlotte Hayes Ward in 1942 after his graduation from Amherst; she was a student at nearby Smith College.
Career :
When only 8 years old, Wilbur published his first poem in John Martin's Magazine. His first book, The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems, appeared in 1947. Since then he has published several volumes of poetry, including New and Collected Poems (Faber, 1989). Wilbur is also a translator, specializing in the 17th century French comedies of Molière and the dramas of Jean Racine. His translation of Tartuffe has become the standard English version of the play, and has been presented on television twice (a 1978 production is available on DVD.)
Continuing the tradition of Robert Frost and W. H. Auden, Wilbur's poetry finds illumination in everyday experiences. Less well-known is Wilbur's foray into lyric writing. He provided lyrics to several songs in Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical, Candide, including the famous "Glitter and Be Gay" and "Make Our Garden Grow." He has also produced several unpublished works such as "The Wing" and "To Beatrice".
His honors include the 1983 Drama Desk Special Award for his translation of The Misanthrope, the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the National Book Award, both in 1957, the Edna St Vincent Millay award, the Bollingen Prize, and the Chevalier, Ordre National des Palmes Académiques. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1959.In 1987 Wilbur became the second poet, after Robert Penn Warren, to be named U.S. Poet Laureate after the position's title was changed from Poetry Consultant. In 1989 he won a second Pulitzer, this one for his New and Collected Poems. On October 14, 1994, he received the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton. In 2006, Wilbur won the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. In 2010 he won the National Translation Award for the translation of The Theatre of Illusion by Pierre Corneille.
Wilbur was born in New York City and grew up in North Caldwell, New Jersey.He graduated from Montclair High School in 1938, having worked on the school newspaper as a student there. He graduated from Amherst College in 1942 and then served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. After the Army and graduate school at Harvard University, Wilbur taught at Wesleyan University for two decades and at Smith College for another decade. At Wesleyan, he was instrumental in founding the award-winning poetry series of the University Press.He received two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and, as of 2011, teaches at Amherst College.He is also on the editorial board of the literary magazine The Common, based at Amherst College.He married Charlotte Hayes Ward in 1942 after his graduation from Amherst; she was a student at nearby Smith College.
Career :
When only 8 years old, Wilbur published his first poem in John Martin's Magazine. His first book, The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems, appeared in 1947. Since then he has published several volumes of poetry, including New and Collected Poems (Faber, 1989). Wilbur is also a translator, specializing in the 17th century French comedies of Molière and the dramas of Jean Racine. His translation of Tartuffe has become the standard English version of the play, and has been presented on television twice (a 1978 production is available on DVD.)
Continuing the tradition of Robert Frost and W. H. Auden, Wilbur's poetry finds illumination in everyday experiences. Less well-known is Wilbur's foray into lyric writing. He provided lyrics to several songs in Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical, Candide, including the famous "Glitter and Be Gay" and "Make Our Garden Grow." He has also produced several unpublished works such as "The Wing" and "To Beatrice".
His honors include the 1983 Drama Desk Special Award for his translation of The Misanthrope, the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the National Book Award, both in 1957, the Edna St Vincent Millay award, the Bollingen Prize, and the Chevalier, Ordre National des Palmes Académiques. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1959.In 1987 Wilbur became the second poet, after Robert Penn Warren, to be named U.S. Poet Laureate after the position's title was changed from Poetry Consultant. In 1989 he won a second Pulitzer, this one for his New and Collected Poems. On October 14, 1994, he received the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton. In 2006, Wilbur won the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. In 2010 he won the National Translation Award for the translation of The Theatre of Illusion by Pierre Corneille.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 18, 2018
Summary: Monk and his friend Glennie are playing a simple game of catch, when another young boy wants to play. His name is Scho and the two boys aren’t very welcoming to this new kid trying to play with them.
Illustrations: The water colors used in this novel are absolutely amazing. They bring this story to life and fit the story very well.
Classroom Use: I would use this book in my classroom for students who are interested in sports, especially baseball. Students who are active in sports will be more interested in reading this book. The story teaches a great message about students letting everyone participate in different activities. After reading the story to the class, I would ask the students how they felt about the boys not letting Scho play a simple game of catch with them. After, I would ask them what they think they would do in that situation and how they think it made Scho feel.
Illustrations: The water colors used in this novel are absolutely amazing. They bring this story to life and fit the story very well.
Classroom Use: I would use this book in my classroom for students who are interested in sports, especially baseball. Students who are active in sports will be more interested in reading this book. The story teaches a great message about students letting everyone participate in different activities. After reading the story to the class, I would ask the students how they felt about the boys not letting Scho play a simple game of catch with them. After, I would ask them what they think they would do in that situation and how they think it made Scho feel.
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September 11, 2021LFL find; chosen because of the illustrator. And yes, there is beauty and drama in the art.
The story, um, well, as other reviewers say it's probably about not including a third kid, and about how that kid tries to play mind games with the others, and how all three deserve the nightmares they'll probably have that night.
But I think it's about something a little different. It was originally written for adults, as a short story. The author is a successful poet. And the third kid would have been included from the start if he'd had a glove with him. Something's odd, but I can't put my finger on it. And so I can't rate.
The story, um, well, as other reviewers say it's probably about not including a third kid, and about how that kid tries to play mind games with the others, and how all three deserve the nightmares they'll probably have that night.
But I think it's about something a little different. It was originally written for adults, as a short story. The author is a successful poet. And the third kid would have been included from the start if he'd had a glove with him. Something's odd, but I can't put my finger on it. And so I can't rate.
March 20, 2013
This picture book of realistic fiction is about a simple mind game that a boy plays on two other boys who consciously or unconsciously keep him from a simple game of catch on a beautiful sunny day.
This book caught my attention because my son insisted we read this book together given our love of baseball. My son is 9 yrs old and i have been his baseball coach for three years running, since he started playing tee-ball in 2010. My mom gave this book to my son last fall and told me he would like it. The quote throughout this book that stood out was,'I can make you'. After having to sit alone in a tree and watch two boys play catch,the main character of the story decides to play mind games with these two boys,as he keeps telling them they are doing what he is making them do and really is a case-study on how kids can play mind games with each other.
The classroom connection that i automatically took from the book was from the discussion i had with my son. I asked him what he thought about the boys not letting the other boy play catch with them. My son said the other boys were being mean to the one kid and they deserve to become so mad at him that they lost interest in playing catch on a nice sunny day,on a nice field. The morale of the story is being mean to other kids is wrong and will ultimately backfire on you. This morale would be the theme for an activity in which i have my students make a list of things kids should not do when playing with each other.
Since i couldn't find an official Lexile measure or guided reading level for this book, i would give it a 550L. I would also measure the interest level at grades 2 through 6. Given that it is a picture book and yet does not have the rhyming scheme of a Dr. Seuss book, i would think it could be read to beginning readers and still keep the interest of the child as they become more text independent. This book will probably appeal more to boys initially,but girls show be able to enjoy the story also because it makes boys look foolish for excluding another kid from playing catch. This form of exclusion is what boys are prone to do with girls,as oppose to other boys, thus the connection or appeal to girls.
This book caught my attention because my son insisted we read this book together given our love of baseball. My son is 9 yrs old and i have been his baseball coach for three years running, since he started playing tee-ball in 2010. My mom gave this book to my son last fall and told me he would like it. The quote throughout this book that stood out was,'I can make you'. After having to sit alone in a tree and watch two boys play catch,the main character of the story decides to play mind games with these two boys,as he keeps telling them they are doing what he is making them do and really is a case-study on how kids can play mind games with each other.
The classroom connection that i automatically took from the book was from the discussion i had with my son. I asked him what he thought about the boys not letting the other boy play catch with them. My son said the other boys were being mean to the one kid and they deserve to become so mad at him that they lost interest in playing catch on a nice sunny day,on a nice field. The morale of the story is being mean to other kids is wrong and will ultimately backfire on you. This morale would be the theme for an activity in which i have my students make a list of things kids should not do when playing with each other.
Since i couldn't find an official Lexile measure or guided reading level for this book, i would give it a 550L. I would also measure the interest level at grades 2 through 6. Given that it is a picture book and yet does not have the rhyming scheme of a Dr. Seuss book, i would think it could be read to beginning readers and still keep the interest of the child as they become more text independent. This book will probably appeal more to boys initially,but girls show be able to enjoy the story also because it makes boys look foolish for excluding another kid from playing catch. This form of exclusion is what boys are prone to do with girls,as oppose to other boys, thus the connection or appeal to girls.
August 29, 2025
I love this little story, not only because I have sentimental feelings for baseball, but for the questions it asks. Were Glennie and Monk unfair to Scho? No, I don't think so. He (Scho) showed up ill-prepared (without a proper glove), with lackluster ability (his throw that sailed stupidly past the others), and it didn't seem he was even invited. All this inclusivity; it tires me out. Can't two boys just enjoy their own activity without harassment? Apparently not in this story. Indeed, this story says a lot about what can happen to our best and brightest when we overly burden them with always including others, others who lack their maturity and grace, others who ultimately would prefer to destroy the activity itself once they see how truly limited they are. What a shame.
June 7, 2013
This a story of genius. I can't explain it. It says something profoundly true about human life. It is set among children but reveals the way life will be for them (and for all children) until they die.
Richard Wilbur is a great writer. I don't understand why you hear little about him, and yet that totally bogus old fraud, James Salter, possibly the worst writer ever to put pen to paper whose sentences don't even have basic meaning,never mind profundity, is promoted as a wise sage. Go figure. It doesn't compute.
Richard Wilbur is a great writer. I don't understand why you hear little about him, and yet that totally bogus old fraud, James Salter, possibly the worst writer ever to put pen to paper whose sentences don't even have basic meaning,never mind profundity, is promoted as a wise sage. Go figure. It doesn't compute.
May 1, 2014
This book is almost like a mind game between three little boys. Two little boys are keeping the other little boy from playing a game of catch. This is a great example about how little kids actually are and that they can sometimes leave someone else out. Its a great lesson to teach your kids that everyone is friends and you should always include everyone. Never bully and always be nice.
February 24, 2016
Stupid story about boys playing catch & a kid who's annoying them. I'm not sure how anyone could love this simple, boring story. My 5th grade son had to read it & sadly, it's not helping him love literacy. It's stories like this that turn kids off of reading.
July 16, 2009
Reminded me of Newcomb's Problem.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews