Lucky Enough
Available in hardback, paperback, and E-book.
"A former kids' baseball coach and the writer of The Washington Post sports column for young readers, Bowen adds an entertaining note on baseball superstitions….The straightforward story will appeal to young players as well as older ones intimidated by longer novels." -Booklist
The Story
Trey Thompson is pumped when he makes the Ravens, a travel baseball team. Trey is full of superstitions, he never steps on a baseline, he always touches the four corners of home plate for every at bat and is convinced he made the Ravens because of his "lucky charm" – a piece of blue sea glass. When Trey loses his lucky charm his hitting and fielding start to slip. How can he get his magic back?
The History
Baseball is full of supertistitions. One major leaguer ate chicken before every game for good luck. A major league baseball coach wore the same pair of underwear to each game when his team was on a winning streak. Did the superstitions bring good luck? Not without a lot of hard work first!
For Teachers
Story themes:Themes: Superstitions, luck, hard work, change, determination, teammates, family, and friends.
What People are Saying
"There are fun facts about some famous major league players who had lucky rituals, hats, bats and more….A good read for youngsters you know and love the game." Kirkus Reviews
"Baseball fans will enjoy the baseball terms and jargon and just may figure out that lucky charms are not what create success on or off the baseball field." —PBS Reading Rockets blog review
"This book will appeal to boys who love the sport of baseball.... Fast paced and thought provoking and always a pleasure to slide safely into another chapter…. There are some life lessons that sneak in, but not in an overwhelming way. Just enough for a youngster to consider in their own life.—Greg Pattridge, Always in the Middle, Middle-Grade Book Reviews blog
"Detailed descriptions of all things baseball by Bowen will have the young sports enthusiast fully engrossed in the story. Even better, the subtle life lesson of the value of work will make an impression. Fun facts about the rituals of famous baseball players make a good bonus read." -Boys to Books Blog
"This quick and to-the-point story is a solid choice for upper elementary readers as well as middle school collections looking to boost their hi-lo offerings." -School Library Journal