erika_reynolds20's review
2.0
This book isn’t what I anticipated, so my low rating has more to do with my expectations than the actual writing or story. I liked the format: each chapter is an inning that documents a different time in history related to one family’s love of baseball. It was interesting how Gratz was able to weave so many stories and people together. I was expecting more baseball, though. Every chapter has some mention of baseball, but it isn’t actually at the foreground of every story. Also, I’m not a huge history buff, so I wasn’t particularly interested in the first several chapters. I enjoyed this book more once it got into the 1900s and the historical context was more familiar to me. Again, though, there’s nothing wrong with the writing or story, and it would probably be a good book for reluctant male readers.
lynnietakalele's review
3.0
The format was interesting, each inning a different generation. I enjoyed the first couple innings, the first if which got into some old baseball rules and the other into the civil war. I like the first girl character who was on a team during world war 1. The chapter with the girl who helped place bets was good. The others fell flat and the ending was weak. I wished for the dial for a real connection to history to be turned up.
book_nut's review
5.0
A fascinating tapestry of a family, a game and a nation. It seems like that would be too ambitious for a middle grade book, but it works, and works well.
sliverphish's review
4.0
Eighth Inning was some fantastic writing. It was heart pounding, intense stuff. I think what I found lacking in the book was the final generation. I was sad to see that the stories were not passed down from one generation to the next and that Snider has these important pieces to his own history, but he will never know how they fit into his life. Overall, I loved walking through each generation and seeing the evolution on baseball and Brooklyn.
eirelyn's review
5.0
[a:Alan Gratz|68794|Alan Gratz|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1604676729p2/68794.jpg]Hmmm. How to word this? Loved it.
It was amazing how each family member and baseball connected to the next and you also got a piece if history(both regular and baseball).
Still dealing with the end though. I'm a person who LOVES different character connections.
It was amazing how each family member and baseball connected to the next and you also got a piece if history(both regular and baseball).
Still dealing with the end though. I'm a person who LOVES different character connections.
lemon_drop's review
4.0
I always am so impressed when a sports book is about so much more... and this one definitely is. One family... 9 generations... 1 favorite pasttime connecting them all across time. This story will appeal to everyone, sports fans or not!
dlarca's review
2.0
I think The Brooklyn Nine has great boy/reluctant reader appeal. Despite its length (300 pages), this is a quick read, more like 9 short stories that have a common denominator but can also stand alone. The Brooklyn Nine follows the Schneider family through nine generations of baseball lovers. Most of the characters are boys between the ages of 9 and 14, but two of the middle stories focus on girls in the family. Each character has a lot of heart and there is a strong focus on family ties and dedication. Gratz also briefly explores prejudice during Walter’s story in a way that makes the reader think about injustice without beating them over the head with it.