Screaming At The Ump Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Twelve-year-old Casey Snowden knows everything about being an umpire. His dad and grandfather run a New Jersey umpire school, Behind the Plate, and Casey lives and breathes baseball. Casey’s dream, however, is to be a reporter—objective, impartial, and fair, just like an ump. But when he stumbles upon a sensational story involving a former major league player in exile, he finds that the ethics of publishing it are cloudy at best. This emotionally charged coming-of-age novel about baseball, divorce, friendship, love, and compassion challenges its readers to consider all the angles before calling that strike.
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0544439376
ISBN-13: 978-0544439375
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.9 x 7.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #745,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #64 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Sports > Baseball & Softball #297 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Values & Virtues #673 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Emotions & Feelings
Casey Snowden, the third generation of a family that runs a school for umpires, dreams of being a sports writer. He joins the middle school newspaper staff, convinced he's on his way to stardom. Of course, there are obstacles. The newspaper's tradition is that sixth graders don't write for the paper; they just sell ads. The teacher/advisor enforces that unwritten rule, as does an eighth-grader who has a beef against Casey's dad. There's trouble at home, too, as Casey's parents are divorced and his mom is pushing to see Casey more. But since she was the one who left, Casey has no interest in cooperating.I would have given the book five stars but for a few things. Most importantly, any teacher I know would not stonewall a student who is striving to reach a goal. I guess it wouldn't have served the plot well if instead of blindly upholding tradition, he had instead sat down with Casey and guided him through the makings of a good story. Instead, he just rejects Casey's first effort with offhand comments about what it lacks. Secondly, the story Casey runs with is a bonafide scoop that would make any newspaperman's blood race. What he finally does with the story is disappointing. (Not to mention, it's totally unbelievable that the major league player on whom the plot turns could just disappear after his involvement in a doping scandal.)The plotting is swift, with several subplots that tie together well. For this audience, humor is important; I found the plots and the characters' actions amusing, but the dialog was a little flat. The author misses some great chances at humor; for example, she says Casey's best friend Zeke brings weird things in his school lunches, but then it's just crackers and a candy bar, or a banana and two chocolate chip cookies. No laughs there.
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