The Super Sluggers: Slumpbuster

Super Sluggers #1

by Kevin Markey, Royce Fitzgerald (Illustrator)

They call me Walloper because I'm no ordinary hitter. Or at least that used to be the case. Now I couldn't hit a beach ball and my batting average is going down faster than the Titanic . With the pennant on the line, I've got a slump cloud over my head so big it's being covered by the Weather Channel. The forecast is grim, but I hope there's one big swing left in my bat so the Rambletown Rounders can win the pennant and I can end this historic drought. Kevin Markey's debut novel is a hilarious tall tale of baseball action and high jinks that will have fans reveling in every trip around the pages.

Genres: Sports, Juvenile

192 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Author of The Super Sluggers series of middle-reader novels, Kevin Markey grew up in Massachusetts under the Curse of the Bambino. Nevertheless, he became a devoted Red Sox fan. A graduate of Georgetown University, Kevin has written several books of nonfiction and is a contributor to various magazines, including FamilyFun. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children."

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reading copy from HarperCollins Publishers to read and review.

This would be a great book for reluctant readers especially boys. The baseball lingo is real as is the burden of a player's batting slump. My three sons all played ball and Mr. Markey captured the feelings they had when they were off their game. Great names especially Banjo!

[Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book the boy won the game for his team

[Freddie Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book the supper slugger slump buster is about the main character banjo and his big hitting slump.I know how he feels because I have Benn in a hitting slump to.He goes thru lots of tough times like getting benched and the shame of being struck out.His friends and family try to help him with this road bump.The entire book explains his struggles.I recommend this book to people who give up and to learn to never give up.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banjo H. Bishbash, aka The Walloper tells of the time his team, The Rambletown Rounders, was headed into a race for the pennant. Just as the race was heating up, so was the weather. It was some of the hottest days on record. To make matters worse, Banjo, the best hitter on the team had fallen into a slump, and it followed him around like a dark cloud. Filled with witty jargon, and humor this is a must read for fans of the sandlot pastime.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It's very well written and entertaining. Its is a light ready but there is a hidden lesson. I would recommend it to anybody.

[Wrighty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banjo H. Bisbash plays third base for the Rambletown Rounders. There is only a week left in their baseball season and they tied for first place with thier arch rivals the Hog City Haymakers. This is the team that won the 10-12 year-old division last year too. The Haymakers have some big players who are big hitters. But the Rounders have a big hitter too. Banjo is better known as "The Walloper" because of his great long hits. So far this season he has had a homerun in every game.

But Banjo doesn't like to be the center of attention and knows that it takes a team effort to win. He is also very superstitious about his routines. He rides his bike and brings his dog, Mr. Bones, to every game, his parents can't arrive before the second inning and the boys each rub teammate Billy's head for luck. When a classmate writes about his homeruns and predicts he will have even more to win the pennant, he is worried that it will bring bad luck. And he was right. The Walloper has hit a slump at the same time as a record breaking drought. For this contest, only the weather is hot.

Having played sports myself and now spending many hours watching my kids play I could relate to this story very well. We've laughed many times over the years at some of our kids and their teammates superstitions. One of their friends had a pair of "lucky" socks and wouldn't let his mom wash them until they lost. We had a long winning streak that season so I was very glad that he didn't have a pair of lucky underwear too! The coach in this story isn't only worried about winning. He is very knowledgeable about the game, he's a good instructor and motivator. He teaches them the plays, encourages them to work hard and have fun. It's refreshing to see in this day and age of pressure to win at any cost. I appreciate the positive themes in this story and the message that everyone can accomplish their goals. The characters are quirky and a bit predictable for an adult but I'm sure they are very entertaining to children. And the nicknames are sure to make them laugh! Tugboat Tooley, Stump, Slingshot, Ducks, Gasser and Ocho are just a few. Share this book with a little person, boy or girl.

Thank you to Harper Collins Childrens First Look program for the ARC.

[Hayden Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Whalloper and the Hay City Haymakers are one of the best teams ever. They also have the best kid playing he is very good his name is the whalloper and he crushes home runs every time he is up to bat. Well until one day when he gets in the biggest slump of his life and he has this giant black cloud that follows him everywhere he goes. The Hay City Haymakers are playing the championship game and the whalloper is batting last in the lineup today. Will he get out of against the toughest team to beat?
Character Analysis: The whalloper changes when he used to be the star player and hitting
home runs and they were always winning games. He was so used the girl snapping pictures and putting them in the newspaper and saying how good he was and now putting how bad he is. He had to work out of this big slump he was in. They tried everything and didnt work but it changed the whalloper in a good way.
Theme: In life we often get into slumps while playing the game of baseball. Everyone is bound to get into slumps here and there all the time. It taught the whalloper that everyone is going to get into slumps in baseball and in life and that you just have to try and work out of it and do everything you can. So just try to get out because it is not going to last forever unless you don't do anything about it.
Opinion: I really liked this book a lot because it is about baseball and I love baseball so it is really good. I like how he gets in a slump because slumps like that really do happen a lot. But your not going to have a cloud above your head. This book is also really funny because of the things they say. It reminds of my team a lot.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern baseball tall tale about a home run hitting boy who goes into a slump, going "oh-fer" for the first time in his career. He's in a slump. Only this slump is an actual physical thing - a big fat black cloud over his head that follows him around. This is a genial, quick read that baseball loving kids will like. It has lots of baseball play by play, and the protagonist - Banjo Hit "Walloper" Bishbash - is funny and engaging. Nothing earth shattering, but a good solid offering for sports lovers from about late 3rd grade to 5th/6th grade. As an aside - "Slumpbuster" is an unfortunate name given the fact that it has another meaning to older sports fans....

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previewed this one for my baseball-loving boys. I think they'll enjoy it. It is full of terrible puns, crazy nicknames, and baseball, of course. There was a good lesson tucked in the book as well. Even good players have trouble some times. Attitude and confidence go a long way. A lesson my boys need as they are hard on themselves, especially when they strike out.

I'll try to add an update when my boys get around to reading this and add their thoughts.

[Auralia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! If you are looking for a fun children's book about baseball this is the one for you. It was a great read. I actually think that it was the first children's book about baseball that I actually enjoyed.

[Tyler 11-12 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a ok book. It was kinda boring. At times it could be the best book. Other times it went off track. It was kinda hard to understand one second the boy hit the ball the next second he scored a run.

[Tremayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

this wuz very entertaining 2 read because i love baseball and he dealt wit problems that professional baseball players like alex rodriguez dealt with trying 2 get to a certain amount of home runs

[Lorraine Stinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

ES baseball book. Pretty typical

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with my middle son because he likes Baseball. This is the first book in the series.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid read - not great but solid and will be a baseball story for the boys to enjoy.

[Lorraine Stinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay baseball story. Definitely ES.

[Terry]

See our review at the Reading Tub.