
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the absence of a father figure or feeling like an outsider in their own neighborhood. It is especially resonant for kids who use humor and bravado to mask loneliness or for those adjusting to the aftermath of a difficult divorce. Set in 1940s Brooklyn, the story follows twelve year old Joey Margolis as he relentlessly pestering a professional baseball player into becoming his surrogate father. Through a unique format of letters and documents, the book explores how resilience and a well timed joke can bridge the gap between two very different lives. While the humor is fast paced and sharp, the emotional core is deeply tender, addressing themes of Jewish identity, financial hardship, and the profound impact of a chosen family. It is a sophisticated read for older middle schoolers and teens who appreciate historical realism mixed with wit.
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Sign in to write a reviewDepicts 1940s anti-Semitism and ethnic tensions in Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Includes period-accurate slang and some mild swearing.
Themes of parental neglect, divorce, and the impact of war.
The book deals with parental abandonment and anti-Semitism directly and realistically. The conclusion involves World War II and the death of a major character, which is handled with a mix of heartbreak and deep honor. It is secular in tone but culturally Jewish.
A 13-year-old boy who uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism and feels let down by the adults in his life. It's for the kid who loves sports history but needs a story about finding where they belong.
Parents should be aware of the 1940s period-typical language and the emotional weight of the ending, which involves the protagonist facing the ultimate loss of his hero in the war. A child expressing that they aren't 'good enough' for a parent who left, or a child who is being targeted for their religion or background and responding with aggression or withdrawal.
Younger readers will love Joey's pranks and the 'David vs. Goliath' feel of him winning over Charlie. Older readers will better grasp the looming shadow of WWII and the complexities of Joey's mother's financial struggles.
The epistolary format is masterfully done, making the reader feel like a detective piecing together a life. It balances laugh-out-loud comedy with genuine tragedy better than almost any other YA historical fiction.
Joey Margolis is a Jewish boy in 1940 Brooklyn who is dealing with a father who abandoned him and a new neighborhood where he is bullied. He begins writing letters to Charlie Banks, a third baseman for the New York Giants. What starts as Joey's manipulative attempt to gain protection and status evolves into a legitimate, life changing bond between the boy and the athlete. The story is told entirely through ephemera: letters, telegrams, and report cards.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.