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The Contract #7
Strike Zone
In the seventh book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, young Derek and his friends learn the true meaning of teamwork when they have to embrace the unexpected on their baseball team.
At the first practice of the season, Derek takes note of who is on the team. They have some good players, for sure—but also some weaker ones. There’s still one kid missing, and Derek hopes it’s a really good ballplayer to round out the roster. But when the kid arrives, everyone is shocked: she’s a girl! Can Derek’s team come together to have a winning season?
Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, this is the seventh book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
At the first practice of the season, Derek takes note of who is on the team. They have some good players, for sure—but also some weaker ones. There’s still one kid missing, and Derek hopes it’s a really good ballplayer to round out the roster. But when the kid arrives, everyone is shocked: she’s a girl! Can Derek’s team come together to have a winning season?
Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, this is the seventh book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 2, 2020
Good message about standing up for each other; baseball fans will love the play by play action, too.
September 25, 2020
Are there any successful people who flourish without experiencing adversity? In Strike Zone by Derek Jeter, Mr. Jeter tells a story of experiencing adversity as a middle school kid. Derek Jeter was the New York Yankees shortstop for 20 seasons winning five World Series and collecting over 3,000 hits along the way, but he did not have everything easy getting to that point. One instance of him experiencing adversity was during a little league season where his team was driven apart once a girl named Avery joined the team. Derek had to step up and attempt to unite his teammates for the better of the team to prevent them from failure. He did this while having other problems in his life such as with his classmate Gary. In Strike Zone by New York Times bestselling author Derek Jeter, the shortstop tells a story inspired by his experiences as a child to teach a life season about working through adversity. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes sports and knows about being on a team and the struggles that come with being on one, Mr. Jeter's excellent use of having a purpose in his writing, developing the characters, and making the conflict relatable is what made his book great and what made his book teach lessons.
The purpose of the author writing this book is to entertain the reader and to teach them a lesson through a story based on his experiences. The amazing ballplayer went through a lot and learned a great deal before he reached the M.L.B level as he told in each of his books in his series The Contract. In Strike Zone, he specifically focused on how to be a good teammate and not fall under peer pressure. Derek first had to resist peer pressure when Avery, [who is the only girl on the team], showed up to the team's first practice. No one expected to see a girl on the team and when they did the reaction was described by saying “The other kids started glancing at one another, and Derek heard a few uneasy mummers, then a giggle or two.” Through the whole practice, Avery was treated like an outsider. Although Derek did not get involved by making fun of her and whispering like the other kids he did not stand up for her or do anything to make her feel more comfortable. Derek wanted to say something to her at the end of practice but was too scared what the other boys on the team would think of him. Later that night at dinner, he expressed to his parents how bad he felt for Avery and he regretted not doing anything to help the situation. This is a very familiar situation for many readers, especially ones that are kids and the author wanted this moment in the story to teach the reader a lesson. By not standing up for someone in a situation like that the bystander is just as guilty as the bullies. Mr. Jeter used events like this one to display to his reader how wrong it is to pick on someone as they did to Avery and to teach them what is right in these kinds of instances.
Derek Jeter did a tremendous job of developing his characters and making them relatable through their relationship with other characters. The reason the characters were so greatly developed was due to them being based on the experience of him and the people he knew as a kid. He did not change any details to try and make the story better, he told the facts as they were which was evident in him including childish things kids do that are not always the best choices. An example of this was when Derek was paired up with his classmate Gary for a science project who he does not get along with and considers his “arch-enemy.” Derek was originally attempting to avoid Gary to avoid doing the project, but when Gary confronts him he knows they have to work. The two boys are going back and forth with ideas and each displaying their disliking of each other. Gary throws out an idea of them creating a model rocket with an engine as their project. Derek's reply was, “Brilliant, Gary,” he said, trying to sound sarcastic.” Although this seems like such a small detail that does not matter, it is what keeps the reader interested and hooked on the book due to the relatability. Due to the fact that Derek Jeter portrays himself as a normal kid like each and every one of his readers it entertains the reader and pulls them even deeper into the novel.
The Yankee great also did a great job in the component of developing a conflict. The conflict began to develop at the point of rising action when Avery was treated differently than everyone else at the first team practice. It escalates quickly and by the second game of the season she gets put down by her teammates, does not get played often by the coaches as she sits on the bench the most by far, and she is overall treated as the scapegoat of the team. This second game of the season is when the conflict is clearly made evident. After sitting for most of the game, Avery is put in only because there are league rules with a minimum of innings each child must play the field in. The team is trying to mount a comeback and Avery comes up with the team down by one run in the last inning with bases loaded and one out. She hit the ball very hard but the shortstop made a leaping play to catch it, he proceeded to throw to first base and get the runner out there as well to turn the double play and end the game. The boys say hurtful things to her after this such as, ”Way to ruin everything”, and “Next time stay home.” Derek went over to Avery this time instead of just being a bystander and told her that she hit the ball great and just got unlucky. Derek’s words got a smile out of her and she thanked him. This is what begins the conflict to strengthen as later in the story his teammates make fun of him for defending Avery and the team gets separated even more. There is also more conflict between Derek and the coach when he tries explaining to his coach Avery deserves more playing time and Derek gets scrutinized by the coach for talking about playing time when it is known as something players should not talk about. These conflicts are each familiar situations for athletes and all kids in general. Everyone has been treated badly for being different in some way, and without help from a good person, it is likely not going to stop. All athletes know it is hard to go against what most of your team is doing or stand up to a coach, but the right thing is what should be done in each case. Throughout the rest of the story, Derek proves how great of a leader and person he is by continuing to stand up for Avery and what is right until they accept her as part of the team. He was eventually successful as their teammates and coach began treating Avery like everyone else and they were now ready to make a playoff run as one team. The conflicts in the story were once again effectively developed in a relatable way that entertained the reader as well as taught them a lesson.
Strike Zone by Derek Jeter is an amazing book that I would without a doubt recommend due to the author’s excellent use of writing with a purpose, effectively developing his characters, and making a conflict relatable to the reader. The lessons taught through each character and conflict can be used by the reader in their personal life. The reader has learned how to stand up and be a leader through the conflicts, and how to deal with peer pressure through Derek. It is often difficult to do the right thing as a result of other factors such as peer pressure, but each person should always do what they know is right.
The purpose of the author writing this book is to entertain the reader and to teach them a lesson through a story based on his experiences. The amazing ballplayer went through a lot and learned a great deal before he reached the M.L.B level as he told in each of his books in his series The Contract. In Strike Zone, he specifically focused on how to be a good teammate and not fall under peer pressure. Derek first had to resist peer pressure when Avery, [who is the only girl on the team], showed up to the team's first practice. No one expected to see a girl on the team and when they did the reaction was described by saying “The other kids started glancing at one another, and Derek heard a few uneasy mummers, then a giggle or two.” Through the whole practice, Avery was treated like an outsider. Although Derek did not get involved by making fun of her and whispering like the other kids he did not stand up for her or do anything to make her feel more comfortable. Derek wanted to say something to her at the end of practice but was too scared what the other boys on the team would think of him. Later that night at dinner, he expressed to his parents how bad he felt for Avery and he regretted not doing anything to help the situation. This is a very familiar situation for many readers, especially ones that are kids and the author wanted this moment in the story to teach the reader a lesson. By not standing up for someone in a situation like that the bystander is just as guilty as the bullies. Mr. Jeter used events like this one to display to his reader how wrong it is to pick on someone as they did to Avery and to teach them what is right in these kinds of instances.
Derek Jeter did a tremendous job of developing his characters and making them relatable through their relationship with other characters. The reason the characters were so greatly developed was due to them being based on the experience of him and the people he knew as a kid. He did not change any details to try and make the story better, he told the facts as they were which was evident in him including childish things kids do that are not always the best choices. An example of this was when Derek was paired up with his classmate Gary for a science project who he does not get along with and considers his “arch-enemy.” Derek was originally attempting to avoid Gary to avoid doing the project, but when Gary confronts him he knows they have to work. The two boys are going back and forth with ideas and each displaying their disliking of each other. Gary throws out an idea of them creating a model rocket with an engine as their project. Derek's reply was, “Brilliant, Gary,” he said, trying to sound sarcastic.” Although this seems like such a small detail that does not matter, it is what keeps the reader interested and hooked on the book due to the relatability. Due to the fact that Derek Jeter portrays himself as a normal kid like each and every one of his readers it entertains the reader and pulls them even deeper into the novel.
The Yankee great also did a great job in the component of developing a conflict. The conflict began to develop at the point of rising action when Avery was treated differently than everyone else at the first team practice. It escalates quickly and by the second game of the season she gets put down by her teammates, does not get played often by the coaches as she sits on the bench the most by far, and she is overall treated as the scapegoat of the team. This second game of the season is when the conflict is clearly made evident. After sitting for most of the game, Avery is put in only because there are league rules with a minimum of innings each child must play the field in. The team is trying to mount a comeback and Avery comes up with the team down by one run in the last inning with bases loaded and one out. She hit the ball very hard but the shortstop made a leaping play to catch it, he proceeded to throw to first base and get the runner out there as well to turn the double play and end the game. The boys say hurtful things to her after this such as, ”Way to ruin everything”, and “Next time stay home.” Derek went over to Avery this time instead of just being a bystander and told her that she hit the ball great and just got unlucky. Derek’s words got a smile out of her and she thanked him. This is what begins the conflict to strengthen as later in the story his teammates make fun of him for defending Avery and the team gets separated even more. There is also more conflict between Derek and the coach when he tries explaining to his coach Avery deserves more playing time and Derek gets scrutinized by the coach for talking about playing time when it is known as something players should not talk about. These conflicts are each familiar situations for athletes and all kids in general. Everyone has been treated badly for being different in some way, and without help from a good person, it is likely not going to stop. All athletes know it is hard to go against what most of your team is doing or stand up to a coach, but the right thing is what should be done in each case. Throughout the rest of the story, Derek proves how great of a leader and person he is by continuing to stand up for Avery and what is right until they accept her as part of the team. He was eventually successful as their teammates and coach began treating Avery like everyone else and they were now ready to make a playoff run as one team. The conflicts in the story were once again effectively developed in a relatable way that entertained the reader as well as taught them a lesson.
Strike Zone by Derek Jeter is an amazing book that I would without a doubt recommend due to the author’s excellent use of writing with a purpose, effectively developing his characters, and making a conflict relatable to the reader. The lessons taught through each character and conflict can be used by the reader in their personal life. The reader has learned how to stand up and be a leader through the conflicts, and how to deal with peer pressure through Derek. It is often difficult to do the right thing as a result of other factors such as peer pressure, but each person should always do what they know is right.
July 7, 2020
Awesome that DJ has these books in his series, all linked to principles and behaviors that his mom and dad reinforced when he was a young boy. I love that he is bringing these lessons about life to kids today. Jude Everett (my grandson), this series is destined for you!
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March 12, 2025really good book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews