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Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid
An ALA Notable Children’s Book from the award-winning author of Monster in which “wit, sensitivity, and insight [are combined] to create this funny, fast-paced story about three orphaned children and the Elks, a Little League baseball team” ( Publishers Weekly ).
T.J., his younger brother, Moondance, and Mop— M iss O livia P arrish—grew up together in the same orphanage. Now T.J. and Moondance have been adopted, and Mop has to find a family before the orphanage closes and “leftover” kids are sent away. Mop hopes that if she can play catcher for the Elks, the Little League baseball team that her friends have joined, the coach will be so impressed that he and his wife will adopt her.
It’s going to take a lot of teamwork for her, T.J, and little Moondance to make their dreams come true!
T.J., his younger brother, Moondance, and Mop— M iss O livia P arrish—grew up together in the same orphanage. Now T.J. and Moondance have been adopted, and Mop has to find a family before the orphanage closes and “leftover” kids are sent away. Mop hopes that if she can play catcher for the Elks, the Little League baseball team that her friends have joined, the coach will be so impressed that he and his wife will adopt her.
It’s going to take a lot of teamwork for her, T.J, and little Moondance to make their dreams come true!
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
6 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Walter Dean Myers
224 books1,186 followerspseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 14, 2018
I like about the book, "Me, Mop and the Moondance Kid'' is how it ends Mop get adopted by Marla and Jim and the elks won the game. And after Mop get adopted her behavior changed. This book was about T.J., Mop and Moondance who were best friends they lived in Dominican Academy which was home for children who did not parents to take care of them. As, T.J. and Moondance get adopted they get used to their parents and love them but mop was not adopted. Mop felt sad that she wont get adopted.
March 14, 2018
I think this is a good book, I like the cover of the book. This book is about the three friend T.J, Mop and Moondance kids. The three friend grow up together in Dominican Academy. T.J and Moondance hot adopted by a family. Mop didn't got adopted. But they still be friend. Later on Mop got adopted by the baseball coach. And they still play together.
I like this book because the three character in this book are very good. They keep their good friendship even though they were adopted. The thing I don't like this book because the words in this book is a little bit small. I don't like the book that the word were small.
I like this book because the three character in this book are very good. They keep their good friendship even though they were adopted. The thing I don't like this book because the words in this book is a little bit small. I don't like the book that the word were small.
April 15, 2009
Three friends who know each other from an orphanage play baseball together. Two of the kids are adopted and the third is hoping the coach of the team will adopt her if she is a good enough player. They start off with a team that is lacking skills and confidence. With some practice and help from a nun and a homeless man they become good and have a shot at winning the championship.
March 14, 2018
I think this book is a interesting book to read. It helps to make good readers to us.It gives us more knowledge.It is the story of friends and playing games.The topic of this book is Me,Mop,and the Moondance Kid.in this book,there is an interesting facts,details,and conclusion.It teach us how to reach in the right.This book makes me more interest to read others book.i want to tell a short story about this book.At first T.J his younger brother,Moondance,and Mop-miss Olivia Parrish-grew up together in the same orphanage.Now T.J and Moondance have been adopted,and mop has to find a family before the orphanage closes and "leftover"kids are sent away.
what will t.j adopted father think-that he cant hit throw,or catch a ball?will t.j. and mops greatest wishes come true?its going to take a lot of teamwork.
what will t.j adopted father think-that he cant hit throw,or catch a ball?will t.j. and mops greatest wishes come true?its going to take a lot of teamwork.
March 16, 2023
This is an enjoyable, sweet, funny and refreshing story. Parents should note that I am shelving it on my "MAYBE" list due to the gritty - although very well written - portrayal of city ghetto life. In this tale, three orphans offer friendship and mutual support to each other in the face of life's hard knocks. When the orphans are adopted, the adoptive family units are loving, traditional two-parent homes. Precheck the following: description of the martyrdom of a Christian saint (pp.38-41), "fell on her knees and started praying" (p.44), punch his lights out/beat the daylights out of you (throughout). Reading level is 3rd grade, but this would also be an excellent hi/lo for 6th to 7th grade boys who are reluctant readers.
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https://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2016...
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March 14, 2018
This book it a good book. One thing I like about this book is this book teach us about the baseball rules, and it tells us how kid live in a academy were like. But one thing I don't like is the title of the book, "Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid" it makes people think this book talks about what happen to them. If they change the title, this book might makes people think this is a good book. I have some title for this book, for example "The Academy baseball players". Their are some questions I have for this book, what happened when they go to a new family? What is their feelings? Did their parents cares about them?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2018
It is a great book for most of readers, but i am not really like this book . The biggest reason why i don't like this book is because this book is not the type that i like to read. Expect this most part of the book was pretty good, include story, characters, settings. So at the last this book was a pretty good book to read.
March 14, 2018
I like this book because the Mop and Moondance have been adopted, and Mop has to find a family before the orphanage closes and the leftover kids are sent away. Mop's new parent were ready and we left.T.J.
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May 14, 2022Community Center Book Club: May
March 22, 2012
Two characters from two different books had some things in common. One character was T.J from this book, and the other character is Dennis O'Malley from Snowboard Maverick. They both are extremely hard workers and always try to get better. T.J is just ok at baseball at the beggining, but then he gets better and helps his team win the championship. Dennis O'Malley is a skateboarder who wasn't too good at snowboarding at first, but he put in extra time and became one of the best snowboarders. They both try to be good friends as well. T.J tries to help Mop, an orphan he is friends with and plays baseball with, find a home before the orphanage is closed. Mop is eventually adopted by the coach of the baseball team that T.J and Mop play for. Dennis remembers that even with fame, the best friends you have are the ones you had before you had fame. The book Me, Mop, and The Moondance Kid was a good book that had a good plot. I would reccomend it to anyone who wants a good sports book.
April 17, 2009
The baseball action in this book (and its sequel) is actually very reminiscent of the action in E.L. Konigsburg's "About the B'Nai Bagels", though the descriptions of play in this book are probably a bit better.
Walter Dean Myers writes a story that will interest any baseball fan (especially those that struggled at playing the game), but it should also suit well those readers that do not much care for or follow our national past time.
There is a noticeable change in tone from the author's usual young adult novels, yet there are special lines of sweet wisdom injected here and there that really make this book what it is. To have published this book, "Fallen Angels", and "Scorpions" all in the same year is a tribute to both Walter Dean Myers's versatility as a writer and his high literary skill level.
Walter Dean Myers writes a story that will interest any baseball fan (especially those that struggled at playing the game), but it should also suit well those readers that do not much care for or follow our national past time.
There is a noticeable change in tone from the author's usual young adult novels, yet there are special lines of sweet wisdom injected here and there that really make this book what it is. To have published this book, "Fallen Angels", and "Scorpions" all in the same year is a tribute to both Walter Dean Myers's versatility as a writer and his high literary skill level.
March 24, 2012
Grade Level: 3rd to 5th
This book was a little difficult to read. It read as if the main character of the story, a child, wrote the story in his journal. English was off as was grammar. However, the story as a whole was a good story that revolved around baseball but also focused on a diverse family. The children were orphans in hopes of being adopted or were just adopted.
This would be a good book to use in a lesson plan about journal writing, a baseball themes unit, or to teach children about different types of families. It could also be used to talk about friends and bullying. Overall, this book could have several applications in the classroom and would speak to a wide variety of students in many different themes.
This book was a little difficult to read. It read as if the main character of the story, a child, wrote the story in his journal. English was off as was grammar. However, the story as a whole was a good story that revolved around baseball but also focused on a diverse family. The children were orphans in hopes of being adopted or were just adopted.
This would be a good book to use in a lesson plan about journal writing, a baseball themes unit, or to teach children about different types of families. It could also be used to talk about friends and bullying. Overall, this book could have several applications in the classroom and would speak to a wide variety of students in many different themes.
March 11, 2009
This book was fun, but very random. It’s about three best friends and their little league team, the Elks. It is told from the point of view of T.J. who makes the story comical and fun to read. Starting out as the worst team in their league they try to pursue their dream of beating the Eagles in the play- offs; the only problem is that they have to make it there first. Maria, their coach, asks a homeless man and a nun to help her with her team. Along with beating the Eagles Mop has other things on her mind, such as getting adopted and saving the Academy’s llama. I would not highly recommend this book however; I think children may enjoy it.
September 14, 2013
This book was cute, but I cannot see a kid reading through this whole story without some nudging along the way. The plot felt random and a bit boring.
One quote I liked:
"'T. J." Peaches stopped outside my door. 'Some of us are like Four Times Seven, we a little like the animals. We good at fighting and scratching our way through life. Some of us ain't. Some of us is gentle and kind and worries about other people more than we worried about ourselves. They the best kind of people, boy.'" (P. 96)
One quote I liked:
"'T. J." Peaches stopped outside my door. 'Some of us are like Four Times Seven, we a little like the animals. We good at fighting and scratching our way through life. Some of us ain't. Some of us is gentle and kind and worries about other people more than we worried about ourselves. They the best kind of people, boy.'" (P. 96)
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June 4, 2009JEAR3-Mye
August 21, 2009
battle of the books choice. not sure girls will like it. need prior knowledge of baseball.
September 3, 2009
Intensely boring. No real story plot. I won't even summerize it because it stinks so bad. Just don't read it.
October 7, 2009
Fun hopeful adoption story. The three adopted kids are on a baseball team together. The team has three girls and... (you read the book!!)
March 7, 2011
Ok book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews