Mudball

Mudball

Mudball

Written and Illustrated by: Matt Tavares

Candlewick, 2005

28 pages

Historical Fiction

Mudball is the true story of the St. Paul Saints baseball team member, Andy Oyler. Oyler was a very short man and not a very good hitter. He contemplated quitting the team because everyone made fun of him and harassed him. During a rainy game, the Saints were down by 3 with 2 outs in the 9^th inning and Oyler was up to bat. The ball came at him and he threw his bat up in the air and hit the ball by accident. Nobody knew where the ball went, but they all ran. Everybody scored, including Andy Oyler. The ball was found in the mud at the end of the game, but the Saints had already won.

The illustrations in this book were done in pencil and watercolor. I like the colors Tavares used in this book. Since it is historical fiction, the sepia tone really makes it stand out and seem like an older book.

This will be a good book to use in the classroom if the students are doing a research project on historical people. An author’s note is given in the back of the book that says even though we have all found ourselves in situations where we feel helpless, small, and ready to quit, Andy’s story demonstrates that good fortune may rain down on us when we least expect it. This would be a good lesson to teach in an elementary classroom.

Mudball has received many awards, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, the Notable Social Studies Trade Books Award, the Red Clover Award, the Nevada Young Readers’ Award, the Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award, the Alabama Emphasis on Reading Award, the Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award, and the Monarch Award.