From Andrea Williams, the bestselling author of We Are Family with LeBron James, comes Inside the Park, the story of a young baseball fan's misadventures after getting locked inside a pro baseball stadium on the eve of the biggest game of the season.

In this all-new, hilarious, action-packed middle grade tale, Timothy Pumpsie Strickland, a baseball-loving twelve-year-old, is about to step up to the plate for the biggest swing of his life.

Pumpsie needs a win. Or to be more precise, he needs the Nashville Wildcats to win. Pumpsie's been waiting his entire life--twelve whole years!--for his favorite team to make it to the playoffs. And this year--finally!--they're just one win away.

But when Pumpsie accidentally gets trapped in Lookout Field the night before the last game of the season, with only a lost dog named Campy for company, he may have accidentally stumbled into the best night of his life. For a baseball fan like Pumpsie, using the pro batting cages, running the bases, playing with the public address system, eating all the concession-stand junk food he can find is a dream come true . . . until he realizes he's not alone in the stadium. Foul plots are brewing beneath Lookout Field, and now it's on Pumpsie to swallow his fears, gum up his courage, and swing for the fences if he wants to save the Wildcats' postseason chances.

Inside the Park is a fun-filled, action-packed slice of wish fulfillment that's perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green or any kid who's ever closed their eyes and imagined stepping up to the plate with the game tied and the season on the line.

A toddler spends an afternoon at the park with his family where he is introduced to baseball for the first time. He makes a few mistakes as he warms up, takes the field, and goes to bat, but he keeps going until he scores the final run of the day and goes to bed a winner.

Stephen Satlow is an eight-year-old boy living in Brooklyn, New York, which means he only cares about one thing-the Dodgers. Steve and his father spend hours reading the sports pages and listening to games on the radio. Aside from an occasional run-in with his teacher, life is pretty simple for Steve.

But then Steve hears a rumor that an African American family is moving to his all-Jewish neighborhood. It's 1948 and some of his neighbors are against it. Steve knows this is wrong. His hero, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball the year before.

Then it happens--Steve's new neighbor is none other than Jackie Robinson! Steve is beyond excited about living two doors down from the Robinson family. He can't wait to meet Jackie. This is going to be the best baseball season yet! How many kids ever get to become friends with their hero?

You've heard that we root, root, root for the home team and enjoy some peanuts and cracker jacks, but do you know the diverse history and culture behind America's favorite pastime turned global phenomenon? In this twist on the classic song, enjoy the familiar tune while learning about iconic baseball events, players, and parks that shaped the sport as we know it today.

• Celebrate America's 250th birthday by learning about it's favorite pastime
• End notes include more baseball facts about the game, players and parks
• Includes QR code access to audio and video animation

Cal Klondike's life revolves around baseball. He's the Walthorne Baseball Academy's star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal's relationship to baseball forever.

Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story for middle grade readers about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Young Marcus Stroman is determined to make it to the highest playing level he can, despite every coach telling him he's not tall enough to become a real pitcher. He'll show them...with some struggling and a whole lot of learning.

It's easy to forget that for every professional sports player there was a kid just learning that sport, dealing with nerves during try-outs, dropping the ball when all their teammates are counting on them, and learning how to stay friends with someone who doesn't make the team. These hard lessons are universal whether in the majors or on a school playing field, and so are teamwork, competition, and believing in yourself.

Let's Play Baseball! Introduce your little one to the great sport of baseball in this lively, interactive Lift-a-Flap board book. Learn all about basic game rules, team uniforms, safety equipment, practice drills, and good sportsmanship. Babies and toddlers will love exploring every playful scene filled with animal friends and tons of baseball fun. Thick, durable board pages and easy-to-lift chunky flaps are perfectly sized for little hands and fingers to turn and read along during storytime. Count the number of bases and practice words such as pitcher, catcher, and batter. This sweet lift-a-flap board is a perfect first book! It is sure to be a home run with every little fan! Game On!

6 perfectly-sized, sturdy flaps are extra strong so babies and toddlers can open and close, over and over again.Chunky board books for babies have durable pages and flaps designed to withstand traditional wear and tear.
• Bright, cheerful illustrations in these sensory lift-a-flap books keep little kids entertained and engaged.
• Interactive elements encourage sensory exploration and help support the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in developing children.
• Perfect first book for your little one or any early reader you know!

Praise for our Small Board Lift-a-Flap

The flaps are the sturdiest in the business and will likely survive vigorous play and exploration.―Kirkus Reviews, PBS Kids Fish!

Catch a second Ballpark Mystery at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama!

Kate and Mike are excited to visit America's oldest professional ballpark, the former home of baseball legend Willie Mays. But things take a wrong turn when their new friend Buck, who looks just like the famous slugger, is accused of plotting to sabotage the big game. With Buck banned from the ballpark and strange, stinky mishaps putting the game in jeopardy, it's up to Kate, Mike, and their friend Andy to uncover the real culprit and save the day-while clearing Buck's name!

Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts.

Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family's escape from Cuba, Michael's only family is his seventeen-yearold brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system--or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael's secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources.

Perfect for any Little Leaguer with dreams of making it big--as well as for fans of Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestsellers Travel Team, The Big Field, The Underdogs, Million-Dollar Throw, and The Game Changers series, this cheer-worthy baseball story shows that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.

They're lean, they're mean, they're the pride of Stoneybrook. Who are they? They're Kristy's Krushers!

When Kristy sees how much her little brothers and sister want to play on a softball team, she starts a rag-tag team of her own. Maybe Kristy's Krushers aren't world champions (how could they be, with Jackie Rodowsky, walking disaster, playing for them?), but nobody beats them when it comes to team spirit.

Now Bart's Bashers have challenged the Krushers to a real live game. It's bad enough that the Bashers truly ARE lean and mean -- but what's worse is that Kristy has a crush on the Bashers' coach. A crush with a capital C!

You've heard that we root, root, root for the home team and enjoy some peanuts and cracker jacks, but do you know the diverse history and culture behind America's favorite pastime turned global phenomenon? In this twist on the classic song, enjoy the familiar tune while learning about iconic baseball events, players, and parks that shaped the sport as we know it today. Spanish edition.

• Celebrate America's 250th birthday by learning about it's favorite pastime
• End notes include more baseball facts about the game, players and parks
• Includes QR code access to audio and video animation

The Pitcher, is a classic story of baseball, the price of dreams, and the lessons of life. A mythic baseball story about a broken down World Series Pitcher is mourning over the death of his wife and an underprivileged Mexican-American boy who lives across the street and wants to learn to pitch. This is a mainstream contemporary novel about dreams lost and found. In the great tradition of books like, The Natural. This is a novel with the mythic themes, readability, and appeal to be a mainstream bestseller.

Catch a baseball mystery-in Birmingham, Alabama?

Kate and Mike are visiting America's oldest professional ballpark, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, for a big MLB game celebrating Juneteenth and the Negro Leagues. But disaster strikes when a priceless Satchel Paige baseball is stolen after Kate leaves it at home plate. Shortly after, a mysterious stranger shows up. Can Mike, Kate, and their new friend Andy find the missing baseball before the theft ruins the game?

Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts.

Jeremiah is not one to let anything keep him down. Starting with his adoption by computer genius Walt, Jeremiah has looked on his life as a series of lucky breaks. When a weak heart keeps him from playing his beloved baseball, Jeremiah appoints himself the team coach. When Walt has to move for another new assignment, Jeremiah sees it as a great chance to explore a new town. But no sooner do they arrive than a doping scandel is revealed and the town feels betrayed and disgraced. Jeremiah takes it as his personal mission to restore the town's morale and help the teams bounce back and remember how to soar. Full of humor, heart, and baseball lore, Soar is Joan Bauer at her best.