The Brooklyn Nine

The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings is by Alan Gratz. This is a very interesting book which follows the evolution of baseball through one family’s association with it. All the facts about baseball are not given, although some are. It is a different way of looking at baseball. The author notes at the end give the background on some of the components as well as some “facts” that are actually fiction. These notes are by the chapters they are in: first inning, second inning, etc. The use of innings as chapter titles is fun. The innings stand for nine chapters- nine generations in one family.The Schneider family in America began with Felix Schneider who had come to America with the intent of making enough money to bring the rest of his family over. To do this, he had been a “stowaway” on a ship to America from Bremen, Germany in 1845. He was considered the fastest boy in America. He could run very fast and was used as a runner for the tailor business his Uncle helped in. Felix was also well-known for being a fast runner in baseball which he played on the sandpits with the boys whenever he could get loose from his job. The one thing he was very proud of were the shoes he wore which were made by his Father before he left home. They were leather with big heels. One day, on his job, he began helping a volunteer fire crew push their fire cart towards a huge fire in Lower Manhattan. He got caught up in helping them even when they were surrounded by fire. When the order came to blast down buildings for a fire break, he helped. He was with a fireman when the man sprained his ankle while they were setting a charge. Felix helped him out and returned to set the charge. Due to the charge having to go off at a specific time, he cut the fuse short, lit it and ran as fast as he ever had. He almost made it out of the building but the blast threw him out. After he recovered, he was never able to run again, although he did recover. He made a baseball out of twine and the leather from his shoes, sewed it by hand and put an “S” for Schneider on it. Thus, the love of baseball began with the Schneider family.It was fun to watch how baseball changed through the years and how the Schneiders kept their interest in it. The book covers the years from 1845-2002. It is also interesting how the gender of the Schneider of the various generations changed from boys to girls. This book would easily appeal to middle school readers, both boys and girls.

This book is rich, especially for a "young adult" novel. It is well-written grammatically. I like the author's style.I read reviews and understood the "baseball" theme, including 9 chapters/innings, 3 sections/outs per chapter/inning, etc. The 9 chapters progress in chronological order, being true to baseball and baseball's evolution, and following a family through time. There is also an heirloom that unites the generations. What I didn't expect was the introduction of "controversial" current topics in every chapter: child labor, immigration, alcohol and drug abuse, betrayal, women's rights, prejudice, ...It would be a superb book for, say, 7th graders to read and discuss in class.I recommend it for adult readers as well as young adults, male and female.

Summary: This book is written in the third person and follows a Brooklyn family's love of baseball through nine generations. Each of the nine innings represents a generation and captures the historical issues of that time period. From Felix Schneider arriving in New York as an immigrant from Germany in 1845 to Snider Flint tracking down the history of a bat belonging to a baseball great in 2002, the reader is taken on a wonderful ride through time. The book touches on a variety of historical events such as the Civil War, the All-American Girls Baseball League, and Sputnik. Themes such as prejudice and poverty are threaded throughout the book as well.My Reaction: I absolutely loved the format of this book! It was so creative to make each chapter a new generation! The characters in each inning varied from a 10 year old boy, to a Union soldier, to a female baseball star...to many more! I really enjoyed the unique perspective each character brought to the story. The author was able to connect significant events from beginning to end, making this novel a creative masterpiece! Great for both girls and boys! This is one of my favorite books of all time!

I have to admit that one of the only things I know about baseball is that there is no better hot dog on Earth than one eaten in the sunny bleachers of Wrigley Field. But even with my limited knowledge of the sport, I can appreciate the nine stories ("innings") of "The Brooklyn Nine." This novel has it all - humorous stories, like the feisty girl who takes on the local mafioso; heart-wrenching moments, like the boy who realizes his hero isn't what he thought he was; and a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat story following a pitcher as he attempts to throw a perfect game. The historical details are the icing on the cake. A wonderful read!

This is a great book! I read it with my 8th graders and then my 5th grade son borrowed it from one of the other teachers and read it in three days. He then asked for his own copy of it for Chirstmas and has read it twice again already. Definitely an enjoyable book for all!