Yolen skillfully blends stars and sports metaphors that work beautifully in this stellar book. The young hero is angry when he receives a dime, rather than a new bike, for his birthday. His opinion shifts quickly when he discovers his father has lost his job, is selling apples on a corner, and hiding the fact from the family. The two boys travel to Yankee Stadium because Jacob knows baseball sells more papers than tragedy. Emotions run strong in this story which shows an era where a boy can earn more than his father.
Sports novels connect with many young adults.
One of the most successful series is Will Weavers' stories about a baseball-fiction star named Billy Baggs. Baggs is a farm boy with a troubled past and difficult father. Billy's foot slips, his brother is killed, and only his natural ability in baseball saves him from his angry father and the poverty of his rural Minnesota life. Now Baggs takes on his arch rival, King Kenwood, and tackles inner issues that pose an even greater threat to both boys. Many times baseball lovers would rather gaze at pictures than wade their way through words.