Finding Buck McHenry

by Alfred Slote

Eleven-year-old Jason, believing the school custodian Mack Henry to be Buck McHenry, a famous pitcher from the old Negro League, tries to enlist him as a coach for his Little League team by revealing his identity to the world.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Sports, Fiction, African American, Juvenile, Childrens, Baseball

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Alfred Slote (born September 11, 1926) is a children's author known for his numerous sports and space novels. His writing has been described as "making space travel seem as ordinary as piling in the family wagon for a jaunt to McDonald's". Slote's 1991 novel Finding Buck McHenry was adapted into a 2000 television film. He currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jason is cut from his Little League team, he's supposed to play on a new team, but there are a few problems: no sponsor, no coach, and then - no players. But Jason isn't discouraged. He finds a sponsor easily, and he has a great idea for a coach. School custodian Mack Henry knows lots about baseball, and Jason suspects that he is really the famous Negro League pitcher Buck McHenry, who disappeared because of some legal issues. If people know that Buck McHenry is coaching the team, Jason knows they won't have any trouble signing up players, but first Mr. Henry deniew that he is Buck McHenry, and then when he admits that he is, he wants to keep it a secret. Is? Isn't he? And why the big secret?

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book of adolescent sports fictions can stand as a sports book only, what makes it a winner is that the reader is exposed to some of the characters and characteristics of the Negro Leagues when baseball was strictly segregated. The experiences of the black players before integration is something that needs to be exposed more.
Jason is a thirteen-year-old boy that is devoted to collecting baseball cards. He also wants to play baseball and is trying out for a Little League team. When he is cut and sent to what is the equivalent of an expansion team, he hits the skids. Right after being cut, he is asked to pick up the bases and take them to the elementary school. While there, he talks with Mack Henry, the longtime custodian. Mack shows him what he did wrong, and it is clear to Jason that Mack knows a great deal about baseball.
When Jason goes to the local sports card store, he sees a Negro League card of Buck McHenry and he becomes convinced that Buck and Mack are the same person. This starts a chain of events where Mack becomes the coach of the expansion team where his grandson Aaron is finally coaxed out of his shell of grief. Aaron’s parents and sibling were killed in an auto accident, so Aaron has moved in with his grandparents.
The combination of the proprietor of the card shop, a famous sports reporter and his baseball star daughter, Aaron’s powerful pitching arm and the backdrop of the history of baseball make a great story. Particularly important are the inclusion of what some of the baseball stars said about their Negro colleagues in the days of segregation. When the great Honus Wager was told that John Lloyd was called the “Black Honus Wagner,” Wagner replied, “I am honored to have John Lloyd called the Black Wagner.”
While there are a few unexpected twists in this story, it keeps your attention and is one that is hard to put down. It is a lesson in both history and a great piece of fiction. It was deservedly made into a movie.

[Xavier · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I choose to read over the summer is "Finding Buck McHenry" by Alfred Slote, this is a realistic fiction, action adventure book that is all about baseball and a legend himself. My thoughts on this book were kinda of mixed, some part in the book were full of action and some were dull. Jason (one of the main characters) is starting to develop his traits by the reader (me). My thoughts on Jason is that in the beginning,he is very sluggish and carless about playing baseball and is more intrigued about collecting old baseball cards, he collects old negro league cards before Jackie Robinson's time and they were put under the whites or lesser than they were. Because of his card collecting and slacking on baseball he gets cut from the team and put on to the reject team. When Jason goes into the school and returns the bases after a practice, he talks to school Janitor Mack Henry, he finds out that he was the great Buck Mchenry from the original negro leagues according to his baseball cards. Jason asks him to fill in as him expansion team head coach. When he agrees to this, this changes Jason’s personality and perspective on baseball, this lifts him as a person and makes him more confident then he was before, now that he has Buck McHenry on his side. At the end of the book Jason is way better at baseball than he was before and more confident with doing more things out on the field. This book is action packed and all about sports and I recommend it if you are into those topics. I rate this book 3 stars out of 5 because i thought the book could have a little more suspense on what's gonna happen next because it was boring towards the core of the book.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite of Slote's novels, though that may have more to do with the fact that it's the only one I read as an adult, while all the rest were read between the ages of 7-10. Still, an enjoyable, quick read, that reminded me of what it felt like to be a kid playing little league.

[Andres · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that Finding Buck McHenry was

[Rick Bavera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun baseball story about a Little Leaguer finding an old baseball star....or did he?

[Megan B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick, Will

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had its moments

[Avalon Bingamon]

This book has very believable characters.

[Chris Griesemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 10 years old, and now I read it to my kids, wonderful little story for those that love to learn about baseball history and how to treat people who may look different than you.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fifth-grader recommended this one to me and I'm not sorry I read it. Nice little story about a kid kicked off his baseball team, sure he's found a Negro Leagues legend to coach his new team, and who learns a little bit more than he expected. Nearly the whole book takes place in about 24 hours, which can be difficult to believe but the story trucks along nicely and includes some fascinating history despite its contemporary (well, 80s/90s) setting.

With so much dreck on the children's realistic aimed-at-boys fiction scene at the moment, this was a nice discovery. My thanks to the student recommender.

[Erick Guevara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was great i really liked it even thought i don't like baseball i really liked this book i wanted recommend this book to all the people that are reading this book because like i said personally i really like this book and who ever is reading this book i hope you enjoy this book.This book was about a kid maned Jason Rose and he is on a baseball team but the coach of the team thinks that instead of playing Jason likes to collect baseball cards and the coach cut Jason cause of that and know Jason has to find another that he can be in.This was the first book i read from this author and i really like this book and i think you guys should read it.

[Jennsyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it was talking about a man named Buck McHenry who used to play in the old Negro Leagues and was an all star pitcher. He played with the best team. When I first started reading it was sort of boring, but after a while it started getting interesting. There was this boy that got kicked out of his old team just so he could be on a new team. Even though his teammates felt bad, they were glad for him because he was going to be one of the best to play against. He met a guy named Mack Henry and secretly he was Buck McHenry. This made it much more exciting.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was ten years old and it was awesome. Absolutely a time in my life when I was into superheroes. But Buck McHenry seemed like a real-life superhero to me. I was in the phase where I loved to collect sports cards, especially baseball cards. I could image myself being in this book and re-reading it now I still feel like a kid. This is a great inspirational book. It can really give you a sense of hope and inspiration.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, especially for kids who really like baseball or play on a team and good history lesson. Realistic characters and dialog. Could definitely be a book for a reluctant reader to get into.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books shows how a kid (jason)of 11 years old could find out something by his curiosity. Jason discovered that th ecustodian of his school was a great baseball legend in the old negro leagues. i like this book because it was interisting and it gave foreshadowing about what is goin to happen.

[Jeannie Scheirman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best young reader's book ever! Children can learn so much about perserverance, as well as how to get along without prejudice. Lots of facts about the old Negro baseball leagues, too. My 6th grade class LOVED this book!

[Shane Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like baseball this is a good book for you. Two friends try to find the legendary Buck McHenry. They end up finding someone who they think is him. They get him to be their baseball coach. You have to find out whether they find him or not and if it really was him.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up. The story was rewarding and moved along at a good pace. It was interesting to learn about the black people who were not allowed to play on the mayor leagues in the South. Young boys who like baseball would enjoy the book.

[Gina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd rather shit in my hand than read this again.

[Matthew Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

very different. confusing. i would read it again though

[Marissa]

This is a sorta just sit down and read book.

[4Brandon Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story really bored me. I had to read it for my 7th grade class.

[Victoria Simcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book together with my 9 year old son, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a lot of baseball facts and history which we learned alot from.

[Spazfungus · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet enduring read, wish I read it when I was a kid

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not interested in baseball, but this was a surprisingly engrossing story.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

[George Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a good meaning. Most of all we got to go outside and play wiffle ball everyday when we read it, forreal tho

[Lindsey Fleck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen really enjoyed this book, he's ready to learn how to play baseball now!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I liked this book I could never, ever get a kid to read it - so sad as it is a good read