Shakespeare Bats Cleanup

MVP Kevin Boland gets the news that he has mono and won’t be seeing a baseball field for a while, and he suddenly finds himself scrawling a poem down the middle of a page in his journal. To get some help, he cops a poetry book from his dad’s den. Before Kevin knows it, he’s writing in verse about stuff like, Will his jock friends give up on him? What’s the deal with girlfriends? Surprisingly enough, after his health improves, he keeps on writing - about the smart-talking Latina girl who thinks poets are cool, even about his mother, whose death is a still-tender loss for which he finally finds the words.

## Book Reviews

**Publisher's Weekly:** "A 14-year-old baseball star temporarily sidelined by a case of mono narrates Koertge's (*The Brimstone Journals*; *Stoner & Spaz*) affecting novel told in verse. After Kevin's writer father gives him a journal, the bored boy sneaks a book about poetry out of his father's den and decides, "I'm just going to fool around a little,/ see what's what poetry-wise." Though he dabbles in several poetic forms, including haiku, sonnet, ballad and rhymed couplets, Kevin writes primarily in free verse. He candidly and sometimes comically muses on his baseball ambitions, former girlfriends, teammates, his rapport with his supportive, sympathetic father and his budding romance with a bright, caring young woman. Several heart-wrenching poems describe his and his father's pain—and gradual healing—following the recent death of Kevin's mother. Some of the entries are more effective than others, yet the teen's newly discovered poetic voice evolves believably and winningly. Kevin's numerous perceptive observations (e.g., "The rules of the game/ [of] baseball and poetry aren't that different"; "When I got sick I missed baseball./ When I got well I missed writing./ Amazing") may well inspire readers to reflect on their own feelings and aspirations—and to express themselves more creatively. This novel scores points for both style and substance. "

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-2116-2

**A Book A Day:** " At a first glance, Ron Koertge’s *Shakespeare Bats Cleanup*looks like your average realistic fiction novel about a young, adolescent boy. However, once you begin to read you to find that all the journal entries are written in poetic form. Iambic pentameter, haiku, and couplet verses are just some of the main character’s talents. Well, not at first. The main character (also the narrator), Kevin Boland, appears like the average teenage boy. He loves baseball, struggles with the death of his mother, hangs out with his friends, and tries to round the bases with the girls at school. However, once Kevin gets sick with mono, he is rendered unable to play baseball for sometime. This is when his appreciation for poetry develops. As he lays in bed he reflects on his life: how much he misses his mother, being bummed about missing out on the baseball field, and which girl he currently likes. Kevin tries to keep this “dark” secret hidden from his friends, but they eventually find out and poke fun at him for it. This is when they begin to affectionately call him “Shakespeare”. Throughout the novel Kevin learns lessons about life, girls, baseball, and poetry. Though the two seem worlds apart, he comes to realize that poetry is “almost as cool as baseball”. Read Ron Koertge’s*Shakespeare Bats Cleanup*to learn how sports and poetry can get along within the pages of the same novel."

https://abookaday365.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/book-review-for-shakespeare-bats-cleanup/

## Activities

Here are some discussion questions that can really get you into the story.

https://multcolib.org/shakespeare-bats-cleanup

## Other Links:

Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWv6hRqJc0

Prezi: https://prezi.com/nukq6e6hj0ej/shakespeare-bats-cleanup/