Striking Out

Rating:
Summary: If you like Baseball you must read this Book
Review: A boy and his brother live on a farm with their parents in a small town. One day the main character goes and works in a field on their farm. His little brother wants to join him so he comes and gets on the tractor with his older brother. The little boy wants to drive but his older brother won't let him so he tries anyway. He falls backwards off of the tractor and dies because he gets tore up in a plow. A while later the boy goes to a baseball diamond that's near his house. He finds other boys about his age playing and thats when he falls in love with baseball. Some things I liked about the book was that it starts right off with action when the boy is thrown from the tractor. Some things I didn't like were that the story is not totally focused on baseball right from the start like I was hoping, but that isn't such a bad thing and that is why I gave it a four-star.



Rating:
Summary: STRIKING OUT
Review: After five years of trying to fill his dead brothers' shoes for his father, Billy Baggs begins the struggle to forge his own dreams. In his first novel for young adults, STRIKING OUT, Will Weaver uses his memories of growing up on a farm in Minnesota to shape the setting and plot of this book. Will Weaver now lives in Bemidji with his wife and two children, where he teaches Creative Writing and English at Bemidji State University.
I think male or female teenagers who enjoy realistic fiction will enjoy this book. Although it seems like this book is mainly directed at teenage boys who enjoy baseball, I think it's a book that will attract both baseball, and non-baseball fans alike. The book deals with all problems that young adults face with their parents when they take their first steps towards independence. Billy wants to begin playing baseball, his father is against it, finally Billy and his mother take a stand, and he begins playing.
The book is written in the third person, although it focuses mainly on Billy, it occasionally takes on the view of his baseball coach. The effect is interesting, throughout almost the whole book you see what Billy sees, feel what Billy feels, and then suddenly you switch to what the coach sees in the boy, or what other people would think when they saw Billy; a tough, gap-toothed farm boy who is good at baseball.
I think the main purpose of this book was to teach readers the value of family, and finding your place in the world. Throughout the book Billy's family is arguing, or ignoring each other. Each one is haunted by the past; the book starts during a turning point for the family. The title of the book STRIKING OUT is very important since Billy and his mother are both starting to take a stand, and strike out against his father living in the past. At one point in the book his mother, pent up with emotion, starts yelling; "things have to start changing around here!"
Will Weavers' strength in writing is character. Each of the characters is well defined, they all have their weaknesses, they are not good, or bad. Although he is writing in the third person you still understand how Billy feels, and when you switch to the Coaches' point of view, you understand what other people see in Billy. When you take on Billy's point of view farmers are described as the normal people, and other higher-class members of the town, are looked on as being snobby. When the coaches' point of view is taken on, Billy is described in a somewhat ragged fashion, as a person of higher class would see him.
Billy, and his father both have complicated characters, Billy's father is strict but sensitive, a deep and emotional character that somehow seems believable. Weaver's writing is raw and powerful when it comes to writing about Billy's family. You understand the hurt each member felt when his brother died, and how much it has impacted their lives, Billy's father especially.
When I first started reading the book, I didn't realize that Billy was only thirteen, he seemed much older, I thought that the author wasn't very good at capturing the character of a thirteen-year-old, but I soon realized that I was wrong. The reason Billy seems older is because he's a farm kid, he has more responsibilities, and therefore seems older. Weaver subtly explained this in parts of the book, and made me understand.
Weaver painted a fairly detailed picture of the setting, a small town in rural Minnesota, home of farmers and the "upper class"; suburbans.
The plot of the book is engaging, the trauma of Billy's home life, trying to get on the baseball team, and the memories of his brother all add up to a large amount of excitement. There are some baseball scenes, but even if you are a non-baseball type person, you will still be able to understand what is going on, mainly the competitiveness of Billy and the other members of the team.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone over the age of thirteen, there are some adult themes, but otherwise I think most people who enjoy realistic fiction, and don't mind baseball, would enjoy this book.


Rating:
Summary: "Striking Out" Review by Adam Wasilewski
Review: I recommend this book to anyone who loves baseball and is 13 years old and up. I think it a great and interesting book because it has a good description of life on a poor farm in the 1970's. For example, "Besides, who else is gonna help me buck bales?" Abner said. "We can't afford to go out and pay nobody." When the coach talked to Billy, he said, "You ever think about playing summer baseball?" "Some kids got to work in the summer," Billy said. I wanted to keep reading to see if Abner will allow Billy to go town. In conclusion, if you are interested in baseball books, read this awesome book.

Rating:
Summary: It's a Homerun!!!
Review: Striking Out is a great book for baseball lovers. If you don't like baseball I suggest you don't read it. The book is full of surprises and unexpected happenings on every page. It is one of the best books I have read. If you like this book I encourage you to read the sequels, Farm Team and Hardball.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: The book is about a boy 13-14. During the summer, he has to put up with his father and we learn about his broter's death. Billy ends up pitching for the town team and makes an emnity with King Kenwood. This book was beautifully written along with the other two, Farm Team and Hard Ball.

Rating:
Summary: "The action/baseball book of the year!"
Review: This was definitely one of the best books of the year. It's about a little boy and how he has a lot of nevers in his life and finally gets the chance to play baseball in a league. He and Heather have a fine relationship. If you know what I mean. Overall this was a fantastic book!

Rating:
Summary: A great start to a magical series
Review: Will Weaver has written a story all ages will love. It is gripping from start to finish. After you finish this book you will want to read the second.