Review of "Ball –Shy Pitcher," by Richard Summers

Review of

Ball –Shy Pitcher, by Richard Summers ISBN 0811477053

Five out of five stars

 Kenneth Patterson is a boy that has a strong, accurate arm and a very weak and timid approach to the world. Much of this is due to his poor eyesight, he has spent years being unable to see items that approach him, so he has an ingrained fear of a ball thrown at him. Yet, there is one area where he excels, and that is in his dealings with snakes. He is so knowledgeable about them that he is even allowed to keep venomous species in his collection.

 When the coach of the Little League baseball team sees Kenneth throw a baseball, the speed and accuracy convince him to put Kenneth on the team. Despite his glaring weaknesses in all other areas of the game. Kenneth’s family has moved often and are now living in an area where whites (their race) are in the minority.

 Using his knowledge of snakes to make friends, Kenneth works with them so that he can reach the point where he is no longer afraid of the ball and can at least catch and hit. At the end, Kenneth’s perseverance and improvement are acknowledged with a reward.

 This is a strong novel in many ways, one of the least of which is the sports plot device. Kenneth must overcome many obstacles in his quest to be “one of the guys” and not be picked on. The author uses the unusual plot device of a fascination with snakes to give Kenneth a mechanism to become part of the gang and the multi-cultural environment was unusual for books written in 1970. All of these features combine to make a quality book that will teach the teen reader many lessons.