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(More customer reviews)When sixth-grader Norm loses his hand in an accident in his father's general store, his friends tell him there's no way he'll ever be able to play baseball. In fact, it seems like everything about his life will be different. His father can't hide the pity and guilt he feels over Norm's accident. His best friend, Leon, offers a clumsy kind of support that leaves Norm feeling like a cripple. Only his mother believes he can still reach for his dreams.
It's 1946 and the shelves of Norm's family general store are beginning to fill with products once rationed during the war. Norm can't wait to catch a glimpse of the newest model automobiles. He just knows they'll be fantastic now that the war is over and auto makers can finally design exciting cars. When he's not working in his father's store, Norm plays baseball and draws sketches. He can't decide whether he wants to play baseball or be an artist. One thing he knows for sure is that he can't wait to stop working in his father's store and waiting on obnoxious customers like old Mrs. Baumgartner. He resents the way his little sister, Ellie, escapes sharing the chores.
When Norm gets his hand caught in a meat grinder, it's a shock for the readers as well as Norm! There aren't any graphic details, but we share Norm's shock, pain, and disbelief. In the days that follow, Norm copes with his loss through humor and denial. His feelings are believable and poignant. Through his eyes, we experience the reactions of his family and friends.
One of my favorite things about this story is its portrayal of friendships between boys. Norm's friend, Leon, is a kid we can believe in. He tries to help Norm, but his attempts sometimes end up making Norm feel worse. Norm reaches out to a new friend, neighbor Carl, and that leads to tensions between the three boys.
Ellie, Mom, Dad, and the townspeople are all great characters as well. Ellie surprises Norm by turning out to be more than just his pesky little sister. And Norm gains new appreciation for his mother's strength and his father's feelings.
It might seem as if the loss of his hand would dominate Norm's story, but this is a book about a great kid who encounters adversity and learns to live with and despite it. You could call this a book about baseball, because we share Norm's frustrations and triumphs as he learns to master the `one-handed catch' and prove that all you need to play a great game of baseball is determination, practice, and spirit.
But most of all this is a story about love: love of life, love between friends and family, and love of a challenge and the game of baseball. There's no false sentiment here, the feelings are rich and genuine.
Teachers will find this book makes a great read-aloud book. The historical setting enriches the story, giving us a glimpse of those years right after WWII which aren't written about as often as the war years themselves. The book lends itself to curriculum links: art, baseball and sports, history, and disability.
This is a great read, and is one of my favorite children's books for 2006, although adults will enjoy it too. When I finished reading it, I hated to close the pages. I felt like I'd spent a few hours in real small-town America and I hated to say goodbye to the characters.
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