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Ballpark Mysteries #17
The Triple Play Twins
Batter up! Baseball action and exciting whodunits star in this chapter book series! Next up is Minnesota! Mike and Kate travel to Minneapolis to meet the Minnesota Twins' star Marco and Pedro, a dynamic twin duo known for their signature triple plays. But after a water balloon attack on the players and a suspect on the run, questions start to pile up. Is someone trying to mess with Marco and Pedro's chances of making the playoffs? As Mike and Kate investigate, they meet Polly and Molly, twin Minnesota locals who lend a helping hand--or two. With new friends by their side, can Mike and Kate solve this mystery?Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts.
- GenresBaseballChapter Books
113 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2021
25 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
David A. Kelly
66 books95 followersDavid A. Kelly is the author of over 30 children's books, including the bestselling Ballpark Mysteries series, the MVP series, the brand-new Football Mysteries series, and more.
Mr. Kelly is also the author of the early reader, Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse and the picture books Tee Time on the Moon and Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and Secret Mud that Changed Baseball.
He has written about travel and technology for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Sun Times, and many other publications. Mr. Kelly lives in Newton, MA, with his family.
For more information, visit David’s webpage – www.davidakellybooks.com. He's available for school and library visits, in person or virtually.
Mr. Kelly is also the author of the early reader, Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse and the picture books Tee Time on the Moon and Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and Secret Mud that Changed Baseball.
He has written about travel and technology for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Sun Times, and many other publications. Mr. Kelly lives in Newton, MA, with his family.
For more information, visit David’s webpage – www.davidakellybooks.com. He's available for school and library visits, in person or virtually.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 6, 2021
My seven-year-old son was so eager for the next book in the series and, happily, this newest one released just a few days after we'd run through the books the library has on hand. I had enough confidence in David A. Kelly to buy this before any reviews were out and he did not disappoint. Kelly manages to keep the stories feeling fresh even after so many installments in the series. This one didn't have quite as much of a mystery as some of the others, but it was still an engaging problem for the kids to figure out, and we enjoyed watching Mike and Kate explore some of the main tourist spots in Minneapolis. Four stars from me, but my son says FIVE STARS and, after all, he's the target audience! ;-)
MY REVIEW FOR THE SERIES AS A WHOLE:
This series has a lot going for it. The characters feel well-drawn (though it’s not heavy on characterization) and the mysteries are quite well done for this age group, not dummied down yet with enough well-placed clues that astute young detectives will figure out whodunit before the big reveal (while including enough red herrings to keep them guessing most of the way).
I like that Mike and Kate feature equally in the book (it’s not a “boy” book or a “girl” book), they both like baseball (but neither is an incredible talent), they are both smart (without being unrealistic brainiacs), both good at solving the mysteries. They feel very relatable and like normal kids. I think boys and girls would equally enjoy this book. I appreciate that Kate is learning Spanish, and that she often researches the locations they travel to ahead of time. There’s a bit of humor and usually a cheesy joke or two for kids who like that, courtesy of Mike (but fortunately no potty humor). They are respectful to one another and there’s no bickering or rivalry. The parents don’t feature much, but again, the relationship is positive. Kate’s parents are divorced, but it is presented as amicable.
I imagine many kids will come to these books because they have a love of baseball but we came to them with very little knowledge of the sport. I chose them because they were well-reviewed and my son has enjoyed mystery books in the past. I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was with the baseball aspect, and it really sparked my son’s interest in the sport. Usually there are a few “ballgame” moments with Mike and Kate watching some plays on the field, but it’s more focused on the mystery than the game play. Of course, all the mysteries involve either ballplayers or some aspect of the team or stadium. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the distinctive characteristics of each ballpark. I also appreciate that many of the books give a glimpse into some local culture or history and local landmarks of the city. The back matter provides further notes about the players, ballparks, city, and history mentioned within the story. They are effortlessly educational while being primarily entertaining.
As a parent, I do have a few qualms about the kids running around in large ballpark stadiums (including out-of-the-way places not frequented by crowds) and surrounding areas in unfamiliar cities without a parent around. They also go off with adults they barely know (usually staff at the ballpark, so not exactly “strangers” but…) some of whom they suspect of committing crimes (usually involving theft or some sort of threats to the ballpark or a player) but at least the kids are always together and, of course, it’s the way the kids are able to be heroes and solve the crime themselves. Some of the books are a little heavier on the exposure to danger than others but most are pretty tame and, of course, all ends well. Also, the kids sometimes look for evidence in an office or a person’s backpack or something like that because they suspect the person of having committed the crime—but, of course, they have no warrant or legal right to do so and sometimes it’s a little close to trespassing or, at least, significant snooping. But, again, the positives of the book outweigh these few quibbles for me.
Overall, I highly recommend the series to young readers who enjoy mysteries and baseball. My son loves them and we have read almost every one in the series. I personally like them better than Magic Treehouse and I think they would appeal to fans of Magic Treehouse type books, too.
MY REVIEW FOR THE SERIES AS A WHOLE:
This series has a lot going for it. The characters feel well-drawn (though it’s not heavy on characterization) and the mysteries are quite well done for this age group, not dummied down yet with enough well-placed clues that astute young detectives will figure out whodunit before the big reveal (while including enough red herrings to keep them guessing most of the way).
I like that Mike and Kate feature equally in the book (it’s not a “boy” book or a “girl” book), they both like baseball (but neither is an incredible talent), they are both smart (without being unrealistic brainiacs), both good at solving the mysteries. They feel very relatable and like normal kids. I think boys and girls would equally enjoy this book. I appreciate that Kate is learning Spanish, and that she often researches the locations they travel to ahead of time. There’s a bit of humor and usually a cheesy joke or two for kids who like that, courtesy of Mike (but fortunately no potty humor). They are respectful to one another and there’s no bickering or rivalry. The parents don’t feature much, but again, the relationship is positive. Kate’s parents are divorced, but it is presented as amicable.
I imagine many kids will come to these books because they have a love of baseball but we came to them with very little knowledge of the sport. I chose them because they were well-reviewed and my son has enjoyed mystery books in the past. I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was with the baseball aspect, and it really sparked my son’s interest in the sport. Usually there are a few “ballgame” moments with Mike and Kate watching some plays on the field, but it’s more focused on the mystery than the game play. Of course, all the mysteries involve either ballplayers or some aspect of the team or stadium. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the distinctive characteristics of each ballpark. I also appreciate that many of the books give a glimpse into some local culture or history and local landmarks of the city. The back matter provides further notes about the players, ballparks, city, and history mentioned within the story. They are effortlessly educational while being primarily entertaining.
As a parent, I do have a few qualms about the kids running around in large ballpark stadiums (including out-of-the-way places not frequented by crowds) and surrounding areas in unfamiliar cities without a parent around. They also go off with adults they barely know (usually staff at the ballpark, so not exactly “strangers” but…) some of whom they suspect of committing crimes (usually involving theft or some sort of threats to the ballpark or a player) but at least the kids are always together and, of course, it’s the way the kids are able to be heroes and solve the crime themselves. Some of the books are a little heavier on the exposure to danger than others but most are pretty tame and, of course, all ends well. Also, the kids sometimes look for evidence in an office or a person’s backpack or something like that because they suspect the person of having committed the crime—but, of course, they have no warrant or legal right to do so and sometimes it’s a little close to trespassing or, at least, significant snooping. But, again, the positives of the book outweigh these few quibbles for me.
Overall, I highly recommend the series to young readers who enjoy mysteries and baseball. My son loves them and we have read almost every one in the series. I personally like them better than Magic Treehouse and I think they would appeal to fans of Magic Treehouse type books, too.
March 28, 2024
This book is a fun and quick read with a nice mystery in which the drama is just enough, but nothing truly terrible or scary happens, which I appreciate for the target age-group. It's nice to have mystery books for kids that allow them to experience the fun of mystery, clues, and detective work, without anything too unsettling.
The characters are fun, and the mystery was just complex enough to keep me interested even as an adult. My biggest complaint is the lack of adult supervision for the young protagonists. They freely travel alone around the Mall of America, crowded ballparks, packed stadiums. They even knowingly omit to their mother that they are knowingly going to chase after the potential "bad guy" as he runs from the crowded stadium (they also don't bother to tell the security guard who could have easily sent security after the guy). I understand the young protagonists need to do things on their own, but this always bothers me and I would have liked the author to have found a way that the kids could have gone about the mystery without lying or unrealistic freedom.
However! With that caveat, I really enjoyed the story and the chapters are nice and short, giving the reader a good sense of accomplishment. I also love the baseball facts (both on gameplay and history) that is sprinkled very nicely throughout.
The characters are fun, and the mystery was just complex enough to keep me interested even as an adult. My biggest complaint is the lack of adult supervision for the young protagonists. They freely travel alone around the Mall of America, crowded ballparks, packed stadiums. They even knowingly omit to their mother that they are knowingly going to chase after the potential "bad guy" as he runs from the crowded stadium (they also don't bother to tell the security guard who could have easily sent security after the guy). I understand the young protagonists need to do things on their own, but this always bothers me and I would have liked the author to have found a way that the kids could have gone about the mystery without lying or unrealistic freedom.
However! With that caveat, I really enjoyed the story and the chapters are nice and short, giving the reader a good sense of accomplishment. I also love the baseball facts (both on gameplay and history) that is sprinkled very nicely throughout.
March 16, 2021
My 8 year old loves these books and this one is no exception. Before reading these, he didn’t know that much about baseball, really, but he knows the lingo now and has enjoyed them regardless.
July 2, 2023
Fun read, especially for a boy who likes baseball!
May 2, 2024
A fun mystery. I always love learning about the ballpark.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews