Welcome to Balabad, birthplace of the international secret society known as the Brotherhood of Arachosia. And rumored hiding place of the grandest ...
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reviews
Oct 14, 2010
Charlyn
rated it: 
Danny Gurkin is the down-trodden Sluggers baseball team's biggest fan. Danny's family has a history of strong support for the hometown team, but Danny believes the success of the team is totally dependent on him and the luck he creates by eating two hot dogs with everything before every game, by crossing and uncrossing his legs, by holding a pencil above his lips and other superstitions that Danny has worked into a fine science. But if the team is cursed can he really undo that? It all depends
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Nov 14, 2007
Susan
rated it:
Sure to entertain baseball fans and fans of The Candy Shop War. Since both are applicable in my case, I found this irresistable. The Sluggers are a fantastically down-on-their-luck (and possibly cursed) baseball team much like the Red Sox were until recently. Still, in spite of their grumbling, the residents of the town remain loyal and hopeful in the same desperate, devoted way that Chicagoans are all too familiar with. The biggest fan of all is Danny Gurkin, who has a superstition and ritual a
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Nov 30, 2008
Al
rated it: 
What a fantastic book. I loved all the characters, especially Danny. He's just like me! I would recommend this book to anybody who loves baseball or is really superstitious or if they love funny flavored gum. It's really great and funny too. Also, I love the bubblegum tycoon Manchester Boddlebrooks and the bad guy named Diamond Bob.
Jan 06, 2010
Brick
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so far he is a big baseball fan and he is rushing home and he forgits about the hotdogs that he gets for every game and so he goes throught all this time like: not stepping on the cracks and dont leave the windows open or dont fall asleep when the game is on and dont recline on the sofa or dont spill the sauce on your self. my favorite character is danny becaause he is just so in love with baseball and that is kindof what i am like. i would recemend this book to anyone that loves baseball.
Dec 21, 2011
Cannon
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I gave this book 4 stars because I like baseball books. This certain baseball book wasnt just all about baseball it mixed my two favorite things Adventure and Baseball. Thats why i gave this book 4 stars.
Jun 04, 2009
Evan
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This book was good and it made me believe a little more in good luck and it made me more into baseball.
Sep 17, 2007
Tracie
rated it:
Danny Gurkin spends year after year rooting for his hometown team the Sluggers. Danny is also convinced they win only if he follows an exhausting list of superstitions the most important of which is eating two hotdogs with everything before each game. After visiting the rundown baseball-themed home of the team's late founder and most famous owner, Danny is convinced he's really found the secret to the Slugger's first success in 100 years. Baseball lover's will enjoy finding out if Danny's
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Apr 28, 2008
Carissa
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as sport books go, i really enjoyed this one. in it, danny gurkin is the biggest fan of the sluggers–a baseball team with the longest losing streak in history. they’re the team everyone loves to root for with no hope that they’ll ever win. no hope, that is, until danny (who is also very superstitious) discovers a secret weapon that can help the team to win. there are a lot of baseball play descriptions in the book, but lots of other action too and i enjoyed reading it. but…. it did make me hungr
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May 06, 2008
Kate
rated it:
I read this as another book for my sports literature class and I really liked it. It's a book about a boy and his loyalty to his favorite baseball team, the Sluggers. The Sluggers have been on a losing streak for 108 years and their most superstitious fan seems to have just the tricks to help them win. I liked that this book had a bit of the fantastical. Unfortunately I don't think many of my sports lit boys will like it, but I guess we'll see.
Oct 07, 2010
Jeff
rated it:
Award winning book that one of the local librarians was raving about. I don't really get the interest for kids, as it's written like a pretty standard 1970s/1980s middle reader book, but it kept my interest enough because those are what I was reading at that age. So yeah. Nice nostalgia trip, at least, and "gets" the whole "baseball = superstition" thing which was fun, but the style pulled me out a bit too much.
Oct 20, 2011
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Nov 28, 2011
Nov 04, 2011
