My New Team (Little Rhino #1)

Little Rhino #1

by Ryan M. Howard, Krystle Howard

A new chapter book series from Major League Baseball's 2006 National League MVP, Ryan Howard!

Every day when Little Rhino comes home from school, he finishes his homework, grabs his bat, his glove, and runs outside to meet Grandpa James. They always practice catching and hitting in the backyard. Playing baseball with grandfather is Little Rhino's favorite thing to do, especially when he pretends to be a real Major League homerun hitter. One afternoon, after a long day of second grade, Little Rhino comes home to find out that Grandpa James has signed him up for a baseball league! Little Rhino will finally be a part of a team! But Little Rhino will quickly learn that is not always so easy to a good teammate, especially when there's a bully wearing the same uniform as you. From Major League Baseball superstar Ryan Howard and his wife, Krystle Howard, a former elementary school teacher, this exciting new series is a fun read for sports and book fans alike!

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Baseball, Childrens, Chapter Books, Friendship, Fiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 2015

About the author

A lifelong dork, Ryan is a Southern California native who is proud to have been a pizza delivery driver for most of his adult years. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV, reading, and trying to write stories. VIOLENT NIGHTS is his first book.

Reviews

[JD Elvington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Rhino: My New Team is based but not entirely on eight-year-old Ryan Howard's experiences on his first baseball league. Nurtured by a grandfather who teaches him the skills necessary to become a skilled baseball player, he tells him to have fun with the game, but try his best. This entertaining early chapter book focuses on Little Rhino's exuberance for baseball, yet struggles he must confront playing the game. A bully threatens him multiple time,s but using his grandfather's advice he "uses his thinker" and tries to stay as calm as possible. When he ends up on the same team, Little Rhino knows he's in for trouble. This is a great title for young boys who love sports. The message of teamwork and staying balanced between schoolwork and athletics is a positive one.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

96 pages. This is a great little league baseball story with a bully in its midst. Good realistic fiction that has good values and realistic situations at school and with friends. Highly recommended grades 3-5.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story

Cute story by one of my favorite baseball players. Young readers will love this! Cute with a good message of teamwork and believing in yourself

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever even considered playing a sport like baseball or soccer, then you know it’s not always easy playing on a team.

Ryan (aka Rhino) dreams of being a major league baseball player one day, but he has to play Little League first. So he’s totally pumped when Grandpa James signs him up. Step one to being in the major leagues complete. Practicing hitting and throwing in the front yard is fine, but now that he’s on a team, maybe he can get better without Dylan, the neighborhood bully, taunting him.

But what happens when Rhino shows up to practice and Dylan is on the same team?

This story is co-written by real life Major League Baseball MVP Ryan Howard, and is based on some of his experiences playing ball as a kid. There are 5 more books in the series.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d actually give this 3.5 stars. I like the dynamic between Rhino and his grandpa. I also liked that he reads and is allowed to choose what he reads. The way they handled Dylan, the bully, was good. What threw me off was the way most of the pictures didn’t match the text. I know that often the author and illustrator don’t meet or collaborate but it’s important for the text and art to match, especially in early chapter books.

[Shelbey Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little book I read with my daughter each night as she is on the start of her own little league journey. It had some great storylines of dealing with bullies and how to be a good friend to those who might just be a little misunderstood. We’re excited to continue this series as part of her nightly reading!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice beginner chapter book for grades 2-3. First in a series. Written by MLB All-Star Ryan Howard and his educator wife. Covers bullying, making friends, perseverance.

[Sharon Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd grade loved as a read aloud

[Jessica S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just your average kids baseball chapter book, but one that touches nicely on bullying as well. Even my non-baseball loving daughters enjoyed this book. My son loved it!

[Susan Companion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Rhino, My First Team is a good early reader chapter book. There aren’t a lot of sports books for young children so this is a great addition for boys and girls!!

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I favorite character was right now because he was alwayas supportive to his teammates no matter what.

Rhino is also my favorite character because he had a good sense of humor



I would not have changed anything at all I think was a very cooking and great ending in my opinion

[Gram Bagby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi I am going to spot you on reading this books

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ryan, better known as Little Rhino, loves playing baseball and talking about dinosaurs. In this first book of a new series, Rhino deals with a bully on his new baseball team while also trying to help his friend Cooper break out of his shell and speak up during lunchtime dinosaur discussions.

The writing in this book is fairly generic, but the subject matter has strong appeal to the intended age group (ages 7-10). Baseball and dinosaurs are two topics that never fall out of fashion, and there is enough of both in this book to satisfy any sports or science-minded reader. The characters are not especially well-developed, but Rhino does have a sweet relationship with his grandfather and he looks up to his kind and patient older brother, and effort is also made to humanize the bully and figure out the motivations behind his cruel actions. For sensitive kids who prefer mild conflicts and positive messages, this story will be a favorite.

My New Team is of the same ilk as sports chapter books by Matt Christopher, Rich Wallace, and Dan Gutman, but not quite as well-written. (For what it's worth, the authors are, in fact, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and his wife, former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Krystle Howard.)

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan (nicknamed Rhino) LOVES playing baseball. He's been practicing with his grandpa and now he's finally joined a real team, the Mustangs. Rhino is so excited to put his skills to the test in real games, wear a real uniform, and hit home runs for his team! But when he finds out that the neighborhood bully Dylan is also on his team, Rhino will have to figure out how to deal with him. Dylan is always saying mean things to Rhino and trying to psych him out when he's at bat, but Rhino doesn't want to stoop to Dylan's level by insulting him back. Can Rhino figure out how to deal with Dylan and help win his first baseball game?

This is a solid early chapter book with plenty of baseball action that will appeal to young sports fans. The fact that Rhino always does his homework before sports, tries not to stoop to the bully's level, and helps his best friend Cooper speak up and make new friends at lunch will appeal to teachers and parents. And huzzah for another diverse voice to add to the early chapter book shelves.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a Major League Baseball first baseman and his wife, a former elementary school teacher, this 2nd/3rd grade level early chapter book is perfect for both young boys and young girls who love baseball (and dinosaurs). This text is a perfect combination of situations that middle grade students are experiencing (bullies, friendships, new situations), mimicking the lives of our students. The main character, Rhino, lives with his grandpa and his older brother. His grandpa is constantly giving great advice about how to live life, and how to deal--the “three second rule,” for dealing with situations when you are feeling angry or upset is one I’ll use with my students. Some illustrations are throughout the text, and the text formatting is not intimidating to students new to chapter books.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Rhino (Ryan) loves playing baseball and practicing hitting the ball. When he has the chance to try out for the Mustangs, he is thrilled. The only thing keeping him from enjoying his time on the field is Dylan, a bigger bully who seems intent on bothering Rhino every chance he gets. Rhino must figure a way to deal with Dylan while also becoming comfortable with not getting a hit every time he is at bat. While the story's events and conclusion are a little bit too perfect to be true, it's still an engaging tale that is sure to pull in readers, especially young fans. I liked the fact that Rhino has a supportive grandfather and a coach who is not oblivious to Dylan's bullying. Plus, the coach's daughter Bella is also an avid baseball player and dinosaur fan.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in a solid new sports series for second to fourth grades. Ryan, nicknamed Rhino, loves to play baseball and is finally old enough to join a little league team. He learns about baseball and about coping with a bully who ends up on his team. Rhino is able to hold his own with the bully thanks to his grandpa's three second rule: three seconds to feel angry or sad, then forget it. The excitement built up as Rhino and his new friends played their first practice game against another team.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's one to definitely engage boy-readers who love sports. Little Rhino loves baseball, and getting on a team seems a dream come true - except that the local bully is also on the same team. Here's a book that takes a real-life scenario and rather than preach all the usual, handles with tact and diplomacy a situation that's going to come up again and again throughout your life- how to work with someone who you don't like. The solution here teaches gently without getting cliche. I really think this was an awesome little book and I look forward to reading others in the series.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very predictable story dealing with a bully and gaining confidence in one's own self. The writing isn't fabulous, told almost too simplistically that some readers might feel they are being talked down to or patronized. Still some early readers will likely get some enjoyment out of it. The accompanying black and white illustrations are low-quality and lifeless, they don't add much to the story.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid sports fiction for middle elementary students here. A kid named Ryan (nicknamed Rhino) joins his first Little League baseball team. He's really happy but has to overcome a bully on the team and gain some confidence about his baseball skills. Great for kids who like the Kickers series by Wallace and who also want to read about baseball.

[Zack Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book it is so awesome i can read it over and over

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical athlete/writer book - great message without being overly sappy.

[Isaiah Pablos]

give me the book

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was great because of high action great games of base ball great friendships in this book

[Kayte Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baseball fans this on is for you! This book was written by a professional baseball player and his wife, so I thought that was interesting.