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The Winning Stroke
When an injury forces him out of baseball for the season, Jerry Grayson begins an intensive rehabilitation program at the school's pool, a program that leads to a growing interest in competitive swimming.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Matt Christopher
467 books141 followersMatt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they're looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. He is the best-selling author of more than one hundred sports books for young readers.
Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.
"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.
Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.
After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.
I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.
Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.
I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.
Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."
Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.
Matt Christopher is America's bestselling sports writer for children, with more than 100 books and sales approaching six million copies. In 1992, Matt Christopher talked about being a children's book author.
"I became interested in writing when I was 14, a freshman in high school. I was selling magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, and Liberty, and I would read the stories, particularly the adventure and mystery stories, and think how wonderful it would be to be able to write stories and make a living at it. I also read detective, horror, aviation, and sports stories and decided I would try writing them myself.
Determined to sell, I wrote a detective story a week for 40 weeks, finding the time to marry, work, and play baseball and basketball before I sold my first story in 1941, "The Missing Finger Points," for $50 to Detective Story magazine.
After writing and selling children's sports stories to magazines, I decided to write a baseball book for children. I was living in Syracuse, New York at the time, working at General Electric. I spoke about my idea to the branch librarian. She was immediately interested and told me that they needed sports stories badly. So I came up with my first children's book, The Lucky Baseball Bat. I submitted it to Little, Brown, and the book was published in 1954.
I'm sure that playing sandlot baseball and then semiprofessional baseball with a Class C club in the Canadian-American League influenced my writing. I had my own personal experiences, and I saw how other players reacted to plays, to teammates' and fans' remarks and innuendoes, to managers' orders, etc. All these had a great influence on my writing. My love of the game helped a lot, too, of course.
Out of all the books I've written, my favorite is The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. It's a fantasy, but the main character in it could be real. There are a lot of boys who would love to play baseball but, for some reason, cannot. The only difference between a real-life boy and Sylvester Coddmyer III is the appearance of a character named George Baruth, whom only Sylvester can see and who helps Sylvester become a good ballplayer.
I've written many short stories and books for both children and adults, and find that writing for children is really my niche. Being the eldest of nine children (seven boys and two girls), I've lived through a lot of problems many children live through, and I find these problems excellent examples to include in my books.
Sports have made it possible for me to meet many people with all sorts of life stories, on and off the field, and these are grist for this writer's mill. I'm far beyond playing age now, but I manage to go to both kids' and adult games just to keep up with them, and keep them fresh in my mind.Very few things make me happier than receiving fan letters from boys and girls who write that they had never cared for reading until they started to read my books. That is just about the ultimate in writing for children. I would never trade it for another profession."
Matt Christopher died on September 27, 1997. His legacy is now being carried on by his sons, Duane and Dale Christopher.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 21, 2024
Story was fine, but the descriptions of the sport were totally off.
September 14, 2023
Needed more conflict, but otherwise a good kids’ book. I devoured these as a youngun, so it’s good to go back and see that Christopher can actually write. Like, I’m actually slightly impressed by what’s here, given the target audience. It’s all well done, just wish there was one more twist for Jerry, as it all came pretty easy for him. He’s a natural athlete, after all. Not much more to say- it teaches some solid lessons, classic author for a reason.
July 30, 2023
I used to love this book as a kid because it was one of the few books that included swimming. I had fun rereading it today. It wasn’t one of those kids books that you cringe rereading. It was just genuinely a fun story.
April 23, 2023
Having not been involved in swim teams, I can't attest to how accurate that is, but I can understand the excitement of meets since I have a daughter involved in track and have helped coach the sport. Overall, I liked seeing the persistence and the camaraderie shared by the team.
November 28, 2015
Two-and-a-half stars.
Humility and diligence are the main themes of this book by kids sports writer, Matt Christopher. They are good themes, even good reminders for an adult reader. These themes carry the book, even when the touchingly friendly and encouraging group of middle schoolers seem far too idyllically Walton family or the moments that make it abundantly clear the author has limited experience with competitive swimming himself (e.g. calling the pool water green or, even worse, suggesting that a swimmer in the water could ever hear an announcer calling a race). At parts I was unclear on whether swimming had changed since the book was written--it certainly has in some ways--or if Christopher was just making stuff up. Suffice to say, there are inaccuracies for modern readers.
Humility and diligence are the main themes of this book by kids sports writer, Matt Christopher. They are good themes, even good reminders for an adult reader. These themes carry the book, even when the touchingly friendly and encouraging group of middle schoolers seem far too idyllically Walton family or the moments that make it abundantly clear the author has limited experience with competitive swimming himself (e.g. calling the pool water green or, even worse, suggesting that a swimmer in the water could ever hear an announcer calling a race). At parts I was unclear on whether swimming had changed since the book was written--it certainly has in some ways--or if Christopher was just making stuff up. Suffice to say, there are inaccuracies for modern readers.
April 26, 2011
I didn't update this book as much because I just wanted to see what hapened in the end. Jeff broke his leg playing baseball so once he got out of his cast his therapy was swimming. He ended up really liking swimming. He wasn't too sure about the team though. He didn't think it was really a team. He did join the team and his swimming improved a lot. He also made friends and he has a new sport to play. HIs biggist achivement was swimming the freestyle 500 in a meet. I suggest this book for anybody who likes water.
January 24, 2013
I loved this book because I am on the swim team. Even though it was a quick read for me and an easy one, too. I could totally relate to be book. Plus over the past year or so, I broke my wrist and so I was pulled out of my favorite sport.
October 2, 2015
I recommend reading this book to anyone who enjoys swimming. it is a good book aside from it not being correct about swimming. swim meets and races are NOT like they are in this book at all. but overall it was a good read.
May 23, 2007
The movie Pride was very similar to this book
Currently reading
January 28, 2008Still in the middle of it but it is a great fourth grade read :) I have recently found Matt Christopher and am really liking him.
April 13, 2008
A good book far any swimmer who likes to read.
May 25, 2009
so far im liken this book (2 bad im only on page 2!!!!)
June 17, 2014
AMAZING!
I think this book is a good one for swimmers. It is a good story. I suggest it to any swimmer!
I think this book is a good one for swimmers. It is a good story. I suggest it to any swimmer!
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April 17, 2018BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews