Gutman, Dan. Ted and Me. Stosh is back, and this time the CIA on to his time traveling abilities and willing to pay him to go back, meet Ted Williams, travel to see the president, and try to avoid the bombing of Pearl Harbor in order to save thousands of lives. Even Stosh doesn't think this is a great idea, and when the CIA's baseball card sends him into Williams' plane when he is running a mission over Korea in 1953, he is even more unsure of the plan. Still, he is willing to go in order to try to save his friend Flip's boyhood friend, who was killed in the bombing. Stosh finally gets to September of 1941 and is there to see William's get his .400. When Stosh predicts every play of the game, Williams knows that something is up, and when he finds out about Stosh's abilities, takes him off to Washington. Will Stosh be able to complete his mission, or are there times when there is nothing that one can change about the past?
Strengths: Having the CIA step in was kind of fun, as was the misstep with the wrong card! I loved that Gutman was able to portray Williams as the brusque, salty mouthed guy he apparently was without resorting to swearing. THANK YOU!! Even after eleven books, I still rather like this series, and that's saying a lot. The twist in this one was a little sad, but good.
Strengths: Having the CIA step in was kind of fun, as was the misstep with the wrong card! I loved that Gutman was able to portray Williams as the brusque, salty mouthed guy he apparently was without resorting to swearing. THANK YOU!! Even after eleven books, I still rather like this series, and that's saying a lot. The twist in this one was a little sad, but good.
Weaknesses: I was hugely bothered by the smallest things in this-- a bum with a shopping cart in the park in 1941, when shopping carts were brand new in 1937 and probably not used in small stores in big cities at this time. Also, the ease with which famous ball players let unaccompanied boys move in with them is alarming to modern sensibilities. Students will not notice either of these, but I'm still thinking about that shopping cart!
oh dear, I hate small things like that shopping cart! I myself will always be bothered by a mercury thermometer in a book set in the present--although I can believe there are still a few hold outs, I know my own children have never seen one!
ReplyDeleteI've only read one of this series--baseball not really being my thing. But I should--it's good to have a wide range of books on ones lists.
We will not talk about how long there was a mercury thermometer in my house, but that would be an annoying detail if it specifically mentioned the type of thermometer and got it wrong. The student who is reading this now also expressed that he thought it was a little creepy how the baseball players are always "Hey, crash on my couch!", but that may be a modern sensibility on a past time problem!
ReplyDeleteThis one is on my to-be-read list. I had no idea there were 11 of these books! Must do better homework there :-)
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