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The Lucky Baseball Bat (50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition): 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition
This Matt Christopher classic story of a boy and his lucky baseball bat will capture readers' imaginations while teaching them vital lessons about the importance of friendship, teamwork, and believing in themselves.
When Martin moves to a new neighborhood, he wants nothing more than to make a good impression on his new teammates. After all, Martin loves baseball more than anything, and all he wants is to prove he's worth his spot on the team. And with his lucky baseball bat in hand, what could go wrong?
But when that same lucky baseball bat goes missing, Martin completely loses his ability to play baseball. But even though he's lost his talent, Martin might just find something the value of friendship, his own confidence, and maybe, just maybe, a place on the team.
Celebrating over six decades on bookshelves, this classic, timeless story of baseball, friendship, and confidence continues to captivate and delight new generations of readers.
When Martin moves to a new neighborhood, he wants nothing more than to make a good impression on his new teammates. After all, Martin loves baseball more than anything, and all he wants is to prove he's worth his spot on the team. And with his lucky baseball bat in hand, what could go wrong?
But when that same lucky baseball bat goes missing, Martin completely loses his ability to play baseball. But even though he's lost his talent, Martin might just find something the value of friendship, his own confidence, and maybe, just maybe, a place on the team.
Celebrating over six decades on bookshelves, this classic, timeless story of baseball, friendship, and confidence continues to captivate and delight new generations of readers.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
21 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Matt Christopher
437 books141 followersMatt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they're looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. He is the best-selling author of more than one hundred sports books for young readers.
Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.
"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.
Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.
After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.
I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.
Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.
I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.
Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."
Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.
Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.
"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.
Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.
After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.
I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.
Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.
I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.
Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."
Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 24, 2015
Martin was your average baseball player. He kind of new the rules but didn't really know what to do in certain scenarios. The coach put Martin in the outfield, so he would get playing time. He really wouldn't get any action because not to many people could hit that far. When it was his turn to bat he never really hit the ball and usually struck out. Barry then sees him struggling and wants to help him out. One day Barry gives Martin a bat and tells him to try it out. Martin has never been so happy before. The next day at practice Martin starts to play better. He is hitting the ball consistently and is being more active out in the field. His teammates are impressed with his new play and gives him more attention now. One day he lost his bat and blamed it on another teammate for taking it. His play starts to worsen, but then he figures out who took it. Freckles Ginty took the bat out of Martin's yard. Martin got the bat back and helped his team continue winning.
Martin is a very good kid. He is an alright athlete and smart while playing the game. He really doesn't get down on himself, and finds a way to fix everything he can.
This book is great for any athlete. Probably younger athletes that are just getting into a sport. More than likely middle school kids. This book also seems to be generated towards boys. It shows how if you want to do something you can. If you're willing to put in the work you will do just fine. If you want to play a sport your not good at, go do it, and it could turn out to be a good thing.
Martin is a very good kid. He is an alright athlete and smart while playing the game. He really doesn't get down on himself, and finds a way to fix everything he can.
This book is great for any athlete. Probably younger athletes that are just getting into a sport. More than likely middle school kids. This book also seems to be generated towards boys. It shows how if you want to do something you can. If you're willing to put in the work you will do just fine. If you want to play a sport your not good at, go do it, and it could turn out to be a good thing.
Read
January 16, 2020Marvin wants to play baseball he sees kids playing so he goes out on the field without a bat or a glove and there is a ball coming his way and he trys to catch it but a kid push him out of the way and makes him miss so they made fun of him but on the way he saw a high schooler named Barry and gives him a glove and a bat and then he goes back to the field and they practice but when he went to bat he could not hit the ball.So he runs home and goes inside but leaving the bat outside.The next day his bat was gone so he thought that the leader of the baseball team took it but he did not because he went to his house and asked,so he went to his neighbors house and asked him and he said he found it and gave it back .
The next day Jim casell the baseball coach asked if Marvin was wanting to play in the grasshoppers league and he said yes. There first game was against the bears and they won.The second game Marvin was up to bat bases loaded 2 strikes 1 ball he swings he misses.They lose 7-4.The last game they win and get to go see a major league game for their reward .
The next day Jim casell the baseball coach asked if Marvin was wanting to play in the grasshoppers league and he said yes. There first game was against the bears and they won.The second game Marvin was up to bat bases loaded 2 strikes 1 ball he swings he misses.They lose 7-4.The last game they win and get to go see a major league game for their reward .
October 14, 2025
For some reason the quality of this book is not up to par with the other Matt Christopher books I have been reading. It was a cute story but I really didn't like the way Marvin's parents kept being referred to as 'daddy and mother.' Good grief - they should have names!!!!! - other than 'daddy and mother.'
Marvin and his sister Jeannie move to a new city. Marvin loves baseball and really wants to play. A teenage boy gives him a bat and glove. Coach Jim Cassell gives Marvin the opportunity to play baseball.
The bat that Marvin has been given is his lucky baseball bat. It breaks during a game and Marvin feels that he can no longer play baseball effectively again because his bat got broken. After a few poor games - on his part - Marvin is given a bat and told it's his old bat but it was fixed.
He is able to help his team win. Afterwards he learns that it's not really his old bat - but a brand new bat that was made for just him.
Marvin and his sister Jeannie move to a new city. Marvin loves baseball and really wants to play. A teenage boy gives him a bat and glove. Coach Jim Cassell gives Marvin the opportunity to play baseball.
The bat that Marvin has been given is his lucky baseball bat. It breaks during a game and Marvin feels that he can no longer play baseball effectively again because his bat got broken. After a few poor games - on his part - Marvin is given a bat and told it's his old bat but it was fixed.
He is able to help his team win. Afterwards he learns that it's not really his old bat - but a brand new bat that was made for just him.
Want to read
February 10, 2020Marvin and his family have just moved from a small town to a large city, he wants to play baseball with the local kids but is scared at first. Marvin tries to catch a ball with no glove and it turns bad for him because they all laugh at him. One day a local boy gives him a glove and bat that he has out grown to help him play better and it really works and helps him play better. Marvin gets better and gives credit to his bat and glove. During the season his lucky bat breaks and he thinks he will no longer be any good at playing baseball. During a game Marvin's bat breaks and his neighbor makes him a new bat.He is good at making stuff with wood. A long the way Marvin finds out it was really his talent not the bat that made him so good.
I liked this book and I think kids my age would also because it teaches you to believe in yourself and you have real talents not just an object.
I liked this book and I think kids my age would also because it teaches you to believe in yourself and you have real talents not just an object.
June 17, 2024
2nd/3rd- Fiction
This is a story about a boy who moves and wants to prove to his friends he can do it. He has a special baseball bat that can show his team he is amazing. This is a great read for any kid who loves baseball. as a girl I LOVE baseball. So, this book is great for either gender, but really any athlete. Great ready to believe himself.
This is a story about a boy who moves and wants to prove to his friends he can do it. He has a special baseball bat that can show his team he is amazing. This is a great read for any kid who loves baseball. as a girl I LOVE baseball. So, this book is great for either gender, but really any athlete. Great ready to believe himself.
March 20, 2018
I liked this book it was about not giving up.I would recommended this book to young people because it has lots of lessons.I would also recommended this book to people who like baseball or people who had trouble trying to get on to a baseball team.
April 10, 2020
Sweet, innocuous chapter book about a boy on a Little League team. He has some confidence issues, which he believes a lucky baseball bat will remedy. Nothing really profound, but my son thought it was a terrific book. And bonus points for the use of the word "swell."
April 12, 2025
Fun book, blast.from the past
If you green up in the 1950s or 60s.you probably saw this book in the school library. Maybe you even read it.
It's a great book about believing in yourself rather than in luck
If you green up in the 1950s or 60s.you probably saw this book in the school library. Maybe you even read it.
It's a great book about believing in yourself rather than in luck
October 2, 2017
Sweet if dated.
December 6, 2017
This book was good.It was a lot of action in this book about baseball.
February 6, 2018
i loiked it
October 6, 2025
As charming as I remembered. Written in 1954. Children's literature has evolved.
August 6, 2016
Written fifty years ago, this book is hardly cutting-edge. But it is sweet and classic and wholesome in a "swell" sort of way.
Marvin is the new kid in town, and he wants to play baseball but doesn't have a glove or bat. But…Marv is the opposite of talented. He seems destined for only strike outs. Then, a nice kid down the street gives him the equipment that he outgrew, and Marvin starts to hit. He gets really good. He credits his bat for his good fortune--it's easier to explain good luck than improved skill in Marvin's head.
The inevitable happens (and it's really clear that this is going to happen in this very beginning chapter book): the bat breaks, and Marvin loses his confidence. Despite feeling low, he rescues a toddler from being hit by a car, and while Marvin shrugs off the parents' insistence that they help him in some way, the father of the little boy makes a bat. He says it's his lucky bat, just put back together again, all Humpty-Dumpty like. After Marvin helps win the last game of the season--the game that wins all the boys on his team a trip to one game of the World Series--the father of the little boy breaks it to him: It was a new bat, not his lucky bat.
Marvin realizes that it was his skill not luck that won the game, and he is even more proud of himself.
A simple story, right? Ben was on the edge of his seat. "One more chapter, Mommy!" and "Can we read another?" We finished it yesterday morning after breakfast while his brother was sleeping off a sleepless night (no comment on the sad fact that I did not get to do the same!).
The nostalgic glimpses made me chuckle: When Marvin is at the height of his hitting with doubles and tripes flying off his bat, a local TV reporter invites him to be on the news. Marvin's little sister Jeannie gasps in delight and says, "I'm going to tell my two friends! They even have television sets!" It was a wonderful opportunity to a) shake my head at the changing times and b) explain to Ben that the then and now realities are very, very different. Marvin is a good guy--earnest, honest, and takes the high road every chance he gets. It's great to have a character in a book be this kind and uncomplicated.
This is a great read-aloud book for young kids, especially sports-crazy Ben.
Marvin is the new kid in town, and he wants to play baseball but doesn't have a glove or bat. But…Marv is the opposite of talented. He seems destined for only strike outs. Then, a nice kid down the street gives him the equipment that he outgrew, and Marvin starts to hit. He gets really good. He credits his bat for his good fortune--it's easier to explain good luck than improved skill in Marvin's head.
The inevitable happens (and it's really clear that this is going to happen in this very beginning chapter book): the bat breaks, and Marvin loses his confidence. Despite feeling low, he rescues a toddler from being hit by a car, and while Marvin shrugs off the parents' insistence that they help him in some way, the father of the little boy makes a bat. He says it's his lucky bat, just put back together again, all Humpty-Dumpty like. After Marvin helps win the last game of the season--the game that wins all the boys on his team a trip to one game of the World Series--the father of the little boy breaks it to him: It was a new bat, not his lucky bat.
Marvin realizes that it was his skill not luck that won the game, and he is even more proud of himself.
A simple story, right? Ben was on the edge of his seat. "One more chapter, Mommy!" and "Can we read another?" We finished it yesterday morning after breakfast while his brother was sleeping off a sleepless night (no comment on the sad fact that I did not get to do the same!).
The nostalgic glimpses made me chuckle: When Marvin is at the height of his hitting with doubles and tripes flying off his bat, a local TV reporter invites him to be on the news. Marvin's little sister Jeannie gasps in delight and says, "I'm going to tell my two friends! They even have television sets!" It was a wonderful opportunity to a) shake my head at the changing times and b) explain to Ben that the then and now realities are very, very different. Marvin is a good guy--earnest, honest, and takes the high road every chance he gets. It's great to have a character in a book be this kind and uncomplicated.
This is a great read-aloud book for young kids, especially sports-crazy Ben.
November 4, 2011
Fiction
Ages 6-12
Paperback
The story is about a boy named Martin who was new to his neighborhood and didn't think he would fit in. He loved to play baseball and would be starting on a new team. Martin new that with his lucky baseball bat he would leave a good impression on his teammates because they would see how good he played. Martin ends up loosing his bat and fears that he will no longer be able play because without the bat he was no good. Having no choice Martin is forced to play without the bat and realize that he can play and is a good player without the bat after all. This book won the Boys' Junior Book Award and in 1993 won the Miner Award. This book is a joy for all children who love to play sports and may have doubts.
Ages 6-12
Paperback
The story is about a boy named Martin who was new to his neighborhood and didn't think he would fit in. He loved to play baseball and would be starting on a new team. Martin new that with his lucky baseball bat he would leave a good impression on his teammates because they would see how good he played. Martin ends up loosing his bat and fears that he will no longer be able play because without the bat he was no good. Having no choice Martin is forced to play without the bat and realize that he can play and is a good player without the bat after all. This book won the Boys' Junior Book Award and in 1993 won the Miner Award. This book is a joy for all children who love to play sports and may have doubts.
May 13, 2013
Just read this aloud to my second graders. They LOVED it. The story was simple enough, and yet had some emotional inferences for us to discuss. The main character is a boy, an athlete, and a good kid, which is sometimes hard to find in appropriate books for mid-readers. All of my students gave it a good review.
Martin wants to be a part of the baseball team, however, his skills aren't as good as his peers because he has never really played before. He finds a bat that he can hit well with, but the story takes a turn when the bat gets stolen and Martin is convinced he can't hit using another bat. With a fun twist, in the end, Martin learns that there really isn't any such thing as a lucky bat, and that instead, it is all about what he believes in his head.
Martin wants to be a part of the baseball team, however, his skills aren't as good as his peers because he has never really played before. He finds a bat that he can hit well with, but the story takes a turn when the bat gets stolen and Martin is convinced he can't hit using another bat. With a fun twist, in the end, Martin learns that there really isn't any such thing as a lucky bat, and that instead, it is all about what he believes in his head.
December 15, 2013
This book started with a kid named Martin who moved into a town where he didn’t have any friends. There was only one way to make friends and that was to prove himself on the baseball diamond. At first, Martin did not play very well, but he was later given a baseball bat from the star athlete in the town. Martin believed that the bat has given him good luck because he started to hit the ball like crazy, making his teammates like him. One game, the bat breaks and Martin was worried that his good luck is gone. He later realizes that the power of his swing lays within him, not in the lucky bat. This book teaches its readers that you don’t need luck in anything that you do. Everything is within reach as long as you believe that you can do it.
June 14, 2010
The Lucky Baseball Bat is a book about a young boy who is new to town and is seeking to play with the little league team. He inherits a baseball glove and bat which he uses to help win the championship game. This book gave great details to describe the situations that take place in the book. The author even provided illustrations for certain scenes. This author also gives young readers the ability to feel that they can accomplish something if they put their mind to it. Over all this was a great book and I would recommend it to younger children in grades 3-4.
April 8, 2014
We could all use some good luck! This story is about a hat the young boy found useful and one her found lucky! He played baseball in the hat and found it bought him luck. I would use this story in the class to keep students hope up and believing in themselves. It would basically be an inspiration story.
September 15, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, but that could be because I really enjoy baseball. It does teach kids that confidence is inside them. It could be a useful book for all elementary grades if used in the right way.
June 22, 2015
Very cute and gentle story of a boy who believes his baseball bat is lucky and without it he has no luck. The ending is gently predictable of course but it is still a very sweet tale. My boys loved it.
December 12, 2009
Very good!
April 18, 2013
Another favorite of both kids (one read it to the other).
Read
June 5, 2014x3
April 21, 2014
A great book for kids who are already into sports and getting into chapter books. As the mother of an 8 year old boy who loves baseball, I found this to be a very encouraging and engaging read.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews