Title: Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother   Baseball Team
Author: Audrey Vernick
Illustrator: Steven Salerno
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 2012
Genre/Format: Picture Book/Nonfiction
Classification: Biography


Summary: The Acerra family had sixteen children; twelve were boys. In fact, for twenty-two years their local high school baseball team had at least one of the Acerra boys on the team. For fifteen years, the Acerra brothers were a semi-pro baseball team and coached by their father. This is the story of Anthony, Joe, Paul, Alfred, Charlie, Jimmy, Bobby, Billy, Freddie, Eddie, Bubbie and Louie Acerra of Long Branch, New Jersey.

My thoughts and connections: My two brothers played on the same baseball team and their coach was our father. During baseball season, baseball was the topic of conversation at our house; even at the dinner table.  Looking through the local library, I came across this book as was intrigued by the title--I had never heard of a whole baseball team made entirely made up of brothers! A delight to read and the illustrations take nostalgic look back into a different time.

This book includes both author and illustrator notes about the Acerra brothers. The author reveals how she became interested in the Acerra brothers and their story.
Read together: Grades K-3
Read alone:  Grades 3-12
Other book connections:  Poem Runs: Baseball Poems, by Dan Florian; Baseball Saved Us, by Ken Mochizuki; H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet, by Brad Herzog.

Snippet of Text:
In one New Jersey town near the ocean, back in the 1920s and 30s, you could hear the same door slam over and over. Three brothers raced out. Out went three more. And more. And still more. It sounds like a fairy tale: twelve baseball-playing brothers. But Anthony, Joe, Paul, Alfred, Charlie, Jimmy, Bobby, Billy, Freddie, Eddie, Bubbie and Louie Acerra were real. (Unnumbered pages)

In 1938, the brothers ranged in age from seven to thirty-two. The oldest nine formed their own semi-pro team and competed against other New Jersey teams. Their father coached them and never missed a game. Their uniforms all said the same thing: Acerras. (Unnumbered pages)

Connections to writing:  Expository-- (1) Most students have a favorite baseball team. Write to explain why your team is your favorite. (2) Create an ABC book of baseball terms.

Connections to writing : Narrative-- (1) You are a member of a professional sports team. Write a letter home about your life on the road.
Connections to other content areas: Physical education--professional sports, Social Studies,

Translated to other languages: No
Other formats: None

I borrowed this book from the local library.







Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum

Title: Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum

Author:  Robert Andrew Parker

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books

Publication Date: 2008

Genre/Format: Picture Book/ Biography/Nonfiction

Summary: At a very young age, Art Tatum loved to play the piano. Musically inclined and born virtually blind in one eye with very limited sight in the other eye, he first plays at home, then in church, cafes, in bars, and eventually one the radio.  After being heard on the radio, Art travels all over the country to play as a professional jazz musician becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed jazz pianists.

Personal thoughts: I absolutely love this book. While in the bookstore, and looking for another book, I saw this book on the shelf and picked it up to read. Written and illustrated by the author, you can feel the music of Art Tatum through words and illustrations.  I immediately thought of other great musicians who are visually impaired:  Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Roy Orbison.

Read Together: grades K-3
Read Without Help: grades 3-12
Read With: Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, (Chris Raschka, 1997) and Ella Fitzgerald (Andrea Pinckney, 2002).

 Snippet of Text: “My father never says much about my music, but I know he’s listening. Sometimes he even dances. Though he hardly moves, I can feel his big feet shake the floor. His rhythm matches mine, and I imagine I’m playing with a bass player tap-tapping his feet and slap-slapping his fingers. When I start Memphis Blues, my father pulls my mother from the kitchen, throws her apron on a chair and swings her across the floor until she laughs in spite of herself.” (Unnumbered page)

“Now when I play, my fingers can do everything I want them to. I can make them whistle, I can make them sing. I can play one song and then weave another song in and out and through it.” (Unnumbered page)

Hear Art Tatum play ragtime jazz

Connections to Reading:  Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions, Visualizing, Author's Purpose

Connections to Writing: Expository—Everyone has that listens to music has a type that is their favorite. Think about the music you like to listen to and explain why you like listening to it. Be sure to include a few of your favorite artists and the songs you like to hear them sing.

Connections to Writing: Narrative—(1) Pretend you are Art Tatum and write several (2-3) entries in your journal/diary as you travel from performance to performance. (2)  Write a To-Do list of things that need to get done before your next musical performance.

Connections to Art: Create a collage about a famous musician
Connections to Social Studies:  Jazz music was an important part of the early 20^th Century. Research jazz as it pertains to World War I and World War II, The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.

Topics Covered: Jazz, jazz musicians, family, music, self-esteem, overcoming physical disabilities

Translated to Spanish:  No

Translated to other languages: No

Other formats: None