
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with questions about their heritage or longing for a connection with an absent parent. It is a perfect choice for kids who feel a sense of 'otherness' due to their family history or for those who use sports as an emotional outlet and a way to dream big. The story follows Felix, a boy who sneaks away to join a minor league baseball team in hopes of finding information about his father, a famous ballplayer back in Cuba. Beyond the excitement of the diamond, the book explores the deep emotional weight of the immigrant experience, the sacrifices mothers make for their children, and the search for personal identity. It is a thoughtful, adventure-filled read for the 8 to 12 age range that balances high-stakes action with a tender look at family loyalty.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe protagonist lies and sneaks away from home to join the team.
The protagonist is a child traveling alone and hiding his identity.
The book deals with parental absence and the complexities of immigration. The approach is realistic and secular. While Felix's father is not magically reunited with him, the resolution is hopeful because Felix finds peace with his current family and his own identity. It addresses the 'missing piece' feeling without being overly tragic.
A 10-year-old sports fan who is beginning to ask deeper questions about their family tree or a child of an immigrant who feels caught between two worlds.
Read the chapters involving Felix's decision to lie to his mother. It provides a good opening to discuss why we sometimes make risky choices when we are hurting. A parent might notice their child staring at old photos or asking pointed, perhaps difficult, questions about why a relative isn't around or why the family moved.
Younger readers will focus on the 'cool' factor of living with a baseball team. Older readers will pick up on the socio-political nuances of the Cuban-American experience and the internal conflict of Felix's lies.
Unlike many sports books that focus only on the big game, this uses baseball as a metaphor for the search for home and the bridge between cultures.
Felix is a young baseball prodigy living with his hardworking mother, who left Cuba to give him a better life. When Felix wins a contest to see the local minor league team, he realizes he looks remarkably like their new shortstop. He decides to pose as a batboy and stow away with the team, convinced that these professional connections will lead him to his father, a legendary Cuban player who stayed behind. Along the way, he finds a surrogate family in the dugout while navigating the ethics of his deception.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.