The Brooklyn Nine

by Alan Gratz

1845: Felix Schneider, an immigrant from Germany, cheers the New York Knickerbockers as they play Three-Out, All-Out. 1908: Walter Snider, batboy for the Brooklyn Superbas, arranges a team tryout for a black pitcher by pretending he is Cuban. 1945: Kat Snider of Brooklyn plays for the Grand Rapids Chicks in the All-American Girls Baseball League. 1981: Michael Flint fi nds himself pitching a perfect game during the Little League season at Prospect Park. And there are fi ve more Schneiders to meet. In nine innings, this novel tells the stories of nine successive Schneider kids and their connection to Brooklyn and baseball. As in all family histories and all baseball games, there is glory and heartache, triumph and sacrifi ce. And it ain?t over till it?s over.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Sports, Young Adult, Baseball, Middle Grade, Historical, Family

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2009

About the author

Alan Gratz is the bestselling author of a number of novels for young readers. His 2017 novel Refugee has spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list, and is the winner of 14 state awards. Its other accolades include the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor, and a Malka Penn Award for Human Rights Honor. Refugee was also a Global Read Aloud Book for 2018.

Alan’s novel Grenade debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list, and his most recent book, Allies, debuted at number two on the list and received four starred reviews. His other books include Prisoner B-3087, which was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Readers pick and winner of eight state awards; Projekt 1065, a Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 and winner of five state awards; Code of Honor, a YALSA Quick Pick for Young Readers; and Ban This Book, which was featured by Whoopi Goldberg on The View.

Alan has traveled extensively to talk about his books, appearing at schools and book festivals in 39 states and a half-dozen countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, and Switzerland, and has been a Writer in Residence at Tokyo’s American School in Japan, the James Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio, and the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia.

Alan was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the 1982 World’s Fair. After a carefree but humid childhood, Alan attended the University of Tennessee, where he earned a College Scholars degree with a specialization in creative writing, and, later, a Master’s degree in English education. He now lives with his family in Asheville, North Carolina, where he enjoys playing games, eating pizza, and, perhaps not too surprisingly, reading books.

Reviews

[Karen Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely the most interesting historical fiction/sports combination I've read yet! Each "inning" is the story of one generation of a Brookyn family, and its connection to baseball and American history. Each inning has 3 short chapters, and Alan Gratz weaves in historically significant events, people and culture: immigration, the Civil War, segregation, prejudice, the Mafia, the All American Girls Baseball League during World War II, and Sputnik among them. Connecting all of them are the descendants of Felix Schneider, who dreams of being the fastest base runner for the New York Knickerbockers baseball team (and firefighters) in 1845. Felix makes his own baseball, which is passed down through the generations, lost and found again along with a few other historic pieces of baseball equipment. Gratz could have dressed this up and had the family meet all kinds of baseball celebrities, but he chose to show us more of the everyday experiences with the game, and that makes it all the more fun to read! Great for all baseball fans, and I think the structure of the story is especially good for more reluctant readers (short chapters, lots of logical places to stop if you need a break). 6th grade and up.

[Chloe]

I liked the book and it was really interesting. At one part it ended at a cliffhanger though and I wanted to know what happened.

[Percy · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD BOOK. i love the idea of telling a story the way he does it, through 9 innings. and the end is so clever. i have literally never met another person who has read this book but for some reason i have an old beat-up copy on my bookshelf, and i love it. it's amazingly true to history, according to the back. which is very cool. and now i can pretend like i know tons about the brooklyn dodgers next time i have to have a sports conversation, so, bonus. i've started watching baseball with my dad in the evenings, and i give this book 100% of the credit for me caring about it at all.

[Bess Brinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending felt a little flat, but overall I enjoyed it.

[Eve (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤ (Semi-active) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that inspired me to play baseball.
I loved it. The first three innings were so hard to get through, but it was worth it, because by the time I got to Kat's story, I was ALL IN.
10/10 recommend for anyone who likes sports and/or history.

[Matthew Cannella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brooklyn Nine is broken down into nine different stories, one story per chapter. Each story has different main characters that are from the same family but from different generations. It starts out in 1845 during the Great New York City Fire of 1845 and goes through major events during American history ending in 2002. The history of baseball is mixed with the events of America’s history. From playing baseball during the Civil War, to a women’s league, and little league, baseball evolves through the years with the family. With each generation dealing with different scenarios, many themes get developed along with a theme that is shared between all stories.
Along with a theme that is shown in each chapter, there is a big theme that is shown across all chapters. This theme is that a family can stay close together through the love and passion of something. This is shown by each character having a love for America’s Pastime and being able to stay together as one family. A theme that is shown by one of the chapters is that family and friends will someone during tough times. This is shown when a kid gets bullied and his grandfather gives him advice on how to deal with it and his friends help him avoid seeing the bullies after school. This moment may be a situation kids can relate to along with relating to the characters.
Throughout all nine chapters, there are many different kinds of characters with different aspects. For example, there is a character that is extremely good at math, one that is a brave soldier at war, and one is a women in a women’s baseball league. This wide variety of characters gives kids many ways to relate to the characters. This is beneficial for kids because they may be able to understand the story if they can relate to the characters and they could learn important things about life.
I would recommend this book for many reasons. One reason is that there are many important things that can kids can learn from the book. Another reason is that all of the characters can be easily related to, which can make the story easier to understand. Finally, the book is well written and can make you keep reading even when you want to stop.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if you were a soldier and saw a blind and lost enemy; would you kill him? Would you sacrifice your chance of getting into college to be benevolent towards your neighbors? Those are just a handful of events that the Schneider children faced in their generations of existence. The brilliant historical fiction book, The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel In Nine Innings by Alan Gratz is about nine related and Brooklyn children’s stories that all have a connection to baseball. The book is told in a nine-inning format from 1845 to 2002 from a third-person perspective talking about each of the Schneider kids' life as a young child. Each young child faces hardships and setbacks but triumphs and has many successes. Each Schneider kid learns a lesson as they pass on from generation to generation.
This book was very interesting, especially as a person who plays sports. One of my favorite parts of the intriguing book is how each character shares the same personality and of course, a love of baseball but each child loves baseball differently. The book highlights all different aspects of the sport of baseball which include the game of baseball, baseball cards, betting, the business of baseball, and memorabilia. Alan Gratz also highlights how the game of baseball was changed or played in certain areas throughout the course of a generation and a half. For example in the south in the 1870s there was stealing bases and bunting to get on base. There were also numerous ways the game evolved and was played but you will have to read to figure it out. Alan Gratz also writes about the historical contexts of the book and connects them to the game of baseball. Alan Gratz talks about how colored baseball players had to sneak their way to play, how soldiers played baseball during their downtime during the civil war, or how the space race affected America.
One of my favorite tactics used in the book was foreshadowing and character development. I cannot talk about foreshadowing because it will spoil the book but the character development is phenomenal. Each inning which is a chapter talks about a child’s story, however. After chapter three Alan Gratz still talks about the child’s story but also refers to their parents and grandparents and the advice and lessons they tell. The advice told to the child is passed down generational advice based on the experiences each child went through.
The Schneiders were implanted with baseball in their blood which their family line is known for. I highly recommend this book not just for baseball players but for all people who want to learn about how generations of a family share a unique bond in different ways. Also to people who want to learn about how a really really extended family handles issues and succeeds. This book was one of the best hits I have read.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fond of historical fiction, but this book was more than phenomenal. This novel brought together everything that I love about family stories, generational stories, and more than anything, stories that show how family stories come together to create a beautifully intricate heritage that links each person to the people before them, whether they realize it or not. I'm specifically intrigued by how quickly the author, Alan Gratz, was able to so expertly connect us to the characters even though they were only in one story or maybe even two (or three but only for the great-grandfather and great- grandmother). I think this goes to show how not only the author is amazing at writing short stories, but Gratz is amazing at at taking a bunch of seemingly-unrelated short stories and bringing them together to form one strong argument for keeping track of your family history. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone, but especially if you're a fan of fiction, historical fiction, short stories, and family stories. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I've gotta go ask my mom everything she knows about our family tree.

[Nolan Reinboth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give The Brooklyn Nine a three-star rating because it was all over the place. This book is about 9 different people that are all a part of the same family in different time periods. They all had a connection to baseball even though they lived several hundred years a part. This book targets teenagers, but I think adults would read it because of the history part of it. Even though it was a decent book it still had its downsides. With there being 9 different generations of a family each section was short, so you wouldn’t connect with that character as much.
I love sports, so my favorite part of the book was the baseball aspect. They all had these memories from past generations that all had to do with baseball. It was interesting how these belongings could stay in one family for several generations even with the different challenges they had to face at those time periods. At the end it taught a lesson to respect the past because history isn’t just history, but I shouldn’t spoil any more of that. Alan Gratz told the story well because he made sure to show what they were going through at these time periods, so long ago. The book could be improved by making each section longer. I feel like I never built a connection with the characters because I didn’t get to see them that long. Overall it was a fun to read book, so if you like history and sports this is the book for you.

[Eric Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of generational stories that link baseball with the momentous events of our nation's history. In nine "innings," we follow a German immigrant's family tree from a Civil War battlefield to a memorabilia shop in the early 21st century. There are themes of class, race, gender, and the American identity throughout. Baseball in New York is the centerpiece, but the book is not only for baseball fans. The stories are human, both tragic and uplifting, and touch on the ancillary aspects of the game: betting, drinking, writing, lore, and superstition (no one can mention the potential no-hitter a pitcher is throwing). The novel encompasses much of what I love about baseball, namely how its history is woven into the American fabric. Excited for the season to begin!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't exactly know why I'm always shocked when I love a sports-fiction novel. I shouldn't be shocking to me at this point. Quality middle-grade/young-adult fiction is quality fiction, no matter what the subject matter. This one just really resonated with me. A microcosm of baseball and American history told through the lens of one Brooklyn-based family over nine generations (nine innings - great formatting); it's wonderful! Alan Gratz has a deft touch.

[mytaakeonit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really love how this multi-perspective book follows one baseball-loving family throughout time. Each "inning" focuses on a different member of the family and they are all connected by their love of baseball. Excellent read for sports lovers, history lovers, and fans of Alan Gratz!

[Zac Eash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baseball, history, and family- This is an outstanding story weaving all three together.

[Carol Gillingham]

I love the way Alan Gratz weaves a story, and baseball is one of my favorite topics. Consequently, I loved this book.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favs book from childhood :’)

[Reese Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mid book for me but my favorite was Kat in chapter 6 I think! Not my type of book but better than what I thought it was going to be!

[Marcos Rodriguez]

This is definitely the most interesting historical fiction/ sports I have read yet. For nine generations, their Schneider family history has been wrapped up with baseball. In the first inning of the book its starts with a young boy from Germany named Felix. Felix moved to America to start his life over and make enough money to pay for his family to come to America and join him. He is a fabric runner for his uncle but he likes to play baseball more than anything. Felix was helping Mr. Cartwright one day when their was a big fire and he had to blow up a building to stop it from going anywhere else. He had lit the fuse but bent it in half so it would go faster he barely made it out of the building when it blew up. He spent the next months in the hospital when he woke up his legs were cold and burnt up from the explosion he would never be able to run again.
There is conflict represented when one of the generations plays for a hometown team that is accused of being racist, and even when a young girl of the Schneider family leaves Brooklyn to play for the Grand Rapids Chicks during World War II. This is a good book for anybody who is a big baseball fan. I think that the book was based on the history of baseball but in a fiction way.

[Russ Bruxvoort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction about nine generations of a family that loves baseball. This was a great way to learn about what was happening in the U.S. from 1845 to today. Immigration, the Civil War, a woman's baseball league, Internet research, and more are covered. I read it in two days and enjoyed each story and looked up more about several of them.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Since I'm not a baseball person I didn't hope to be impressed by this nine generation tale of Brooklyn and baseball, but Gratz makes fine use of the characters and time periods in this oddly compelling little book.

[Vinnie]

The Brooklyn Nine was a very scattered book in my opinion, but there was lots of suspense and kept you on the edge of your seat. My favorite part was finding out all the players. Overall, The Brooklyn Nine was an outstanding book and I absoulutley loved it.

[Wesley Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting book that talked about 9 generations of family history through baseball. I unexpectedly enjoyed it.

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in high school because I really love baseball. I loved this book. I love historical fiction and the fact that this book follows nine generations was something I loved.

[Mia Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this book went through generations after generations and it just seemed cool to me.

[Michael Rubalcava · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Brooklyn Nine" is book with nine separate stories about nine different people that that are in the same baseball loving family. It is told in chronological order and it continues throughout the years. Most of the short stories don't actually have the protagonist(s) play baseball. There are two stories that have the main characters playing baseball, but it is for maybe 1/4 of the what is already, short stories. Two other stories have two separate main characters playing baseball for the majority of their stories and the rest of the stories have baseball as a theme for the story. Subtle references to other family members or family member from previous stories return in future stories too.

A common literary device used in Alan Gratz's book is similes. These are often seen throughout the story and usually appear when the main character(s) are doing something of great importance. That would either running, walking, thinking. The great thing about the similes used are that they compare the main character's action to something baseball related. A great example of this would be the first story, when the main character (Felix) is lighting a fuse to a Manhattan building that is loaded with gun powder and is on fire. He does this so that it can blow up and stop the spreading of fire to the rest of the city. He has to light the fuse and sprint out of the building as fast as he can. "The fuse hissed furiously behind him. Felix made the turn around the hole in the floor like was rounding third base and he sprinted for the dim light of the front door like it was home" (Gratz, 26). Similes like this are sprinkled in each story and it helps describe the scenes that are being portrayed much better.
As a whole, I was very disappointed by this book. I thought I was going to get nine exhilarating baseball stories, but there were only four that held my interest. While it seems like a good idea to have stories that have a baseball theme and to have some stories that don't actually have the central plot being about playing baseball, it turns out to not be very engaging. I was very bored through more than half of the book and the seventh story did not even have more than two pages that had baseball in it. There are highlights though, and those being the stories with people playing baseball and the little references made to other characters in previous stories. I loved the story of Michael Flint and how he got a perfect game in a little league. The entire story reminded me of how much fun I had when I played for a little league team. Finally, the references made are so amazing. In one story, the main character named Kat is given a beauty guide from her Coach and her great-grandson finds it in a cardboard box in a later story. Those subtle references are what make this book so charming and made me want to read more.

[Liben Kebede · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Alan Gratz’s novel, The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings, the reader follows the life of a German immigrant family through nine generations, starting in 1845, as they adapt to life in America and enjoy the game of baseball. In nine innings, Alan Gratz, tells the stories of 9 successful kids (from the same family) and their experiences with baseball in Brooklyn. Gratz also uses literary techniques effectively, to help portray the story better. One example was when the text said, “the fire was melting it...He could taste it too; it was like he had licked the stovepipe” (Gratz 19). The quote is describing when a fire occured in downtown Manhattan, during Felix’s baseball practice. This simile is useful because it helps Gratz effectively describe the change in the air quality, during the fire. It also triggers one of the five senses, taste, and helps facilitate the description of the event to the reader. Another example of a strong literary technique used by Gratz, was when he described the area Walter was at in the beginning of chapter 9, saying, “It was an early spring, just before the start of the baseball season, and the salty air from the roaring surf was still cool and crisp, like a last gasp before the long hot summer to come” (Gratz 105). Gratz uses a metaphor to compare the air to being salty and uses personification because he said the waves roared. This effectively helps describe the setting at the beginning of the chapter because it was the first sentence and there was nothing else describing the area Walter was at. This is also a use of sensory imagery because the air was described as salty and the surf was roaring, cool, and crisp. The roaring connects to the reader’s hearing and the saltiness and coolness connects to the reader’s sense of feeling and taste. One more helpful use of a literary technique was when the author said, “She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt the sun so warm on her skin...She was a million miles away from her father’s war letters” (Gratz 174). This is an effectual use of a hyperbole, twice, because you can’t really feel the sun on your skin or else you would die of too much heat. Gratz just exaggerated, making the reader understand how the climate was. Then, Gratz said she was millions of miles away, to exaggerate and make it seem like she was really far away. This was an intriguing novel with a great story. Gratz combined history (during the time of World War 2) and baseball. The way that baseball impacted each family member’s life intrigued me. I would recommend this to baseball fans (or even any sports fan) and readers who enjoy fictional sports stories told in a historical and realistic setting.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings is by Alan Gratz. This is a very interesting book which follows the evolution of baseball through one family’s association with it. All the facts about baseball are not given, although some are. It is a different way of looking at baseball. The author notes at the end give the background on some of the components as well as some “facts” that are actually fiction. These notes are by the chapters they are in: first inning, second inning, etc. The use of innings as chapter titles is fun. The innings stand for nine chapters- nine generations in one family.
The Schneider family in America began with Felix Schneider who had come to America with the intent of making enough money to bring the rest of his family over. To do this, he had been a “stowaway” on a ship to America from Bremen, Germany in 1845. He was considered the fastest boy in America. He could run very fast and was used as a runner for the tailor business his Uncle helped in. Felix was also well-known for being a fast runner in baseball which he played on the sandpits with the boys whenever he could get loose from his job. The one thing he was very proud of were the shoes he wore which were made by his Father before he left home. They were leather with big heels. One day, on his job, he began helping a volunteer fire crew push their fire cart towards a huge fire in Lower Manhattan. He got caught up in helping them even when they were surrounded by fire. When the order came to blast down buildings for a fire break, he helped. He was with a fireman when the man sprained his ankle while they were setting a charge. Felix helped him out and returned to set the charge. Due to the charge having to go off at a specific time, he cut the fuse short, lit it and ran as fast as he ever had. He almost made it out of the building but the blast threw him out. After he recovered, he was never able to run again, although he did recover. He made a baseball out of twine and the leather from his shoes, sewed it by hand and put an “S” for Schneider on it. Thus, the love of baseball began with the Schneider family.
It was fun to watch how baseball changed through the years and how the Schneiders kept their interest in it. The book covers the years from 1845-2002. It is also interesting how the gender of the Schneider of the various generations changed from boys to girls. This book would easily appeal to middle school readers, both boys and girls.

[Nick Tewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A baseball game interrupted by a battle? Yes, this occurred during the Civil War. Where can you read about such occurrences? Alan Gratz’s book The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings is truly one of a kind. This historical fiction novel is organized as a baseball game. There are nine major sections, each called an inning. Each of these sections contain three chapters, which represents the three outs in an inning. The first section is about a first generation American immigrant and his life in New York. Subsequent innings depict the family’s future generations. The entire novel follows the family’s lineage and each generation’s connection to baseball. The blending of both baseball and historical elements plays to the interests of almost any reader.
Each inning is its own story. The first section takes place during baseball’s infancy. The ensuing innings occur a decade or two after the previous time period. Many of these stories occur during landmark times in American history, such as the Civil War or the roaring 20s. Each section incorporates baseball into that respective period of time. Often the “times” affect the game of baseball in some way. It is truly fascinating to see the evolution of baseball paired with American history. Additionally, every inning has a different perspective on baseball. For example, one of the sections is about a female who plays professional softball during WWII, because all of the men are away fighting in the war.
Despite the novel containing nine different stories, there are some consistencies. The vast majority of the innings take place in Brooklyn, New York. There is a section or two where the characters are somewhere other than Brooklyn, but this is a result of a forced relocation. Even in those instances, the characters make references to “back home”, which they explain is Brooklyn. Though Brooklyn remains the constant setting, it continually develops along with the times. It is interesting to hear references to historical sites in later portions of the book that served as the setting in earlier sections. In addition, every inning ends in a cliffhanger, leaving the reader with questions. I often found myself frustrated with how the stories seemed to end so abruptly. However, the next inning would often indirectly answer questions that the previous inning had left me with.
I loved how every inning had an entirely new cast of characters. It kept things fresh and prevented the story from becoming monotonous or boring. My favorite main characters were Louis from the Civil War era and Kat from World War II. Both of these characters provided me with a unique perspective of baseball and life in America that I would have never experienced myself. I was particularly interested in the section that took place during the Cold War. While reading this section, I connected many of the global events of the time to what I was learning in my contemporary American history class. This section served as a supplement to everything I was learning about the fear of nuclear war in America. Of all the characters and their stories, the story about Felix and Arnold were my least favorite. I found these stories to be very similar, too similar. I struggled to connect or remain interested in these characters and their perspectives. Fortunately, with the book broken into nine different stories, I only had to temporarily endure these characters.
Overall, Alan Gratz’s The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings is a wonderful read. The integration of baseball into American history combines two of my favorite topics, sports and history. The book showcases how American baseball truly is. Additionally, the unique organization of the book makes it an exciting read from cover to cover. Alan Gratz took a big risk in structuring the novel the way he did, and it most certainly paid off! This is a quick read that will keep you captivated throughout!

[Israel Barrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about nine different baseball players and their stories. They are all from different generations and timelines. The nine innings in the book is a different story of each of the nine baseball stars. Felix Schneider, a German immigrant from 1845 that plays for a team in New York called the Knickerboxers, which play he plays three-out all-out baseball. Louise Schneider, a Union Soldier during the American Civil War in 1864, plays baseball during the dangerous battles between the Union and South. In 1893, where Arnold Schneider meets his idol, King Kelly, who is one of the first professional baseball stars. Walter Snider, a batter for a different named the Brooklyn Superbas who is from 1908. He arranges a tryout for an African-American pretending he is a Native American. Frankie Snider, a number nerd from 1926 gets help from a Brooklyn Robins fan. In 1945, Kat Snider, a player for the Grand Rapids Chicks, which is in the All-American Girls Baseball League. Jimmy Flint, a ten-year-old from 1957 who is constantly bullied, is scared when the Dodgers leave Brooklyn. In 1981, Micheal flint finds himself in a perfect game. And the 9th and final inning, Snider Flint, explores a story of a bat who belonged to one of Brooklyn’s greatest baseball players to live. This is a brief summary of this story
This is a good book, I like how all the characters backstories and their point in time all match up with real-life events and problems. The world-building in this book is amazing. It felt like I was where that character was, whether it be 1845 or 1981. The plot makes sense in the story, like the fire in 1845 was mentioned in the book. The connection in the book is great also. One connection I had to the book is that I used to play baseball. But also all the characters were connected in their own ways, they are either in the Schneider, Snider, or Flint family. The book is relevant to some real-life problems like I said earlier. Racism with Walter Snider’s time, 1908, his team wouldn’t let an African-American pitcher tryout because of the color of his skin. There was really nothing that really resonated with me with this story, but it can with anybody who decides to read this book. I personally really liked this book for its story and world-building, that's what makes this story grate. I give this book a five-star rating because the book has amazing writing and details into it, I recommend that you read this book, it is amazing and that is just my opinion on The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings by Alan Gratz.

[Stevie Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this booktalk, I am excited to talk about The brooklyn Nine by alan gratz. It was difficult to make because of all the different perspectives.

Several different perspectives yet all 8 are Sniders. Weather they are a immigrant from germany or a soldier in the civil war.They can even be a ten year old boy that gets bullied around and used for his grandmothers baseball bat. But no matter what the Sniders are or do, they’ll always have a long line of what seems like fantastical baseball stories.

There are 8 different perspectives in the story. Felix Snider:a ten year old immigrant from germany. Louis Snider: A soldier fighting in the civil war that always loved baseball as a kid. Walter Snider: A batboy for brooklyn in 1908 that doesn’t necessarily follow the rules. Frankie Snider: He’s great with numbers but he could also be a reliable con man. Kat Snider: Moves to a new city without telling anyone and joins a women's baseball team. Jimmy Flint a ten year old that gets bullied in grade school. Michael Flint a perfect pitcher. And Snider Flint who’s trying to solve a mystery.

:They wanted something whether its mental like getting over something that stresses you out or physical like a baseball bat.

All eight of the sniders have to follow a certain set of rules in order to “dodge” conflict whether its a written or unwritten rule. It can be doing a certain thing to avoid a bully or sneaking around with a enemy to make sure you don’t get caught and he gets to safety.

As things unravel the characters are starting to realize that they can reslove every conflict. However even if you accomplish something great that doesn’t mean that it will have a good outcome.

This is one of the books that never fails to excite you even with the amount of changes. And even when it’s not exciting it shares a important message. I know this book has taught me a lot of important messages and i'm sure you will get at latest one important message

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was another amazing story from Alan Gratz, and one that flew under my radar until I stumbled across it not too long ago.

I confess to being a bit biased. I love baseball and historical fiction, and this novel hit the bullseye on both counts! Just the premise had me raving, so please bear with me as I continue to gush : )

The Brooklyn Nine tells the story of a family over the course of nine generations, beginning with a young German boy who comes to the United States in the 1840s, and falls in love with the newly emerging American game. Meanwhile, Brooklyn, as well as the beloved baseball team, grows and changes along with the family as the years pass. Baseball becomes the tie that binds one generation to another as the love of the game is passed on from father to son, mother to daughter.

However, this is not just a light-hearted sports story. Each child we are introduced to is confronted with an issue prevalent to their respective time periods, such as poverty, prejudice, and war; and other topics like addiction, obsession, bullying, and violence. Gratz also includes several cliffhangers that leave the readers to wonder how things turn out for various characters. Believe it or not, I found the cliffhangers rather satisfying.

There are also a number of appearances of historical figures related to baseball, although probably not the ones you might expect. For example, the Babe does show up in one chapter-just not Babe Ruth.

Most importantly, we see the power of family, and the impact that parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents play in the development of their young.

The novel was a well-written and heartfelt love note to family, Brooklyn, and baseball.

If you read/like this book, I would also recommend Doris Kearn's Goodwin's memoir Wait Till Next Next Year. In it, she talks about growing up in Brooklyn during the 1950s, and sharing her beloved father's passion (and heartbreak) for the Brooklyn Dodgers.