The Bat Boy & His Violin

Curtis, G. (1998). The Bat Boy & His Violin. E. B. Lewis. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Brief Annotation: Reginald is the son of the manager for the Dukes, a baseball team in the Negro National League; however, he enjoys playing the violin much more than baseball. When his dad asks him to be the batboy for the Dukes, Reginald doesn’t seem to do well until he begins to play his violin during the game. The team, which had been on a losing streak, began to win. Will Reginald’s music inspire the Dukes to beat the best team in the league?

Genre: Sports fiction, picture book, realistic fiction

Grade Level: K-4

Readers who will like this: Children who enjoy baseball, music, playing the violin, and picture books.

Response/Rating (1-4): 3; This book is very interesting, I didn’t know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. I love that the author was able to connect music and baseball, two subjects that are almost opposites. The message this book conveys is very important for school age children. Every person has a special skill, and they are equally important and meaningful.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: How do you think music and baseball can go together?