This book is about a boy whose name is Michael Arroyo. He is 12 years old and is originally from Cuba. His father and his 17 year old brother named Carlos escaped Cuba and came to the USA. Soon after their father had a heart attack leaving them orphans.
At the start of the book it starts off in Cuba and not long after that Carlos and Michael are in the south Bronx alone in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. I think that is a great part of setting and a key part on why Michael loves baseball so much. He listens so all the games and he is not a bad player himself. Michael is 12 years old, but has no birth certificate. Soon he is noticed by some of the little league coaches, but they don't know how old he is or if he is even eligible to play.
In addition Carlos and Michael are living on the rough side of town helps the stay under the radar, but they still get questioned. If the police or any government people find out that their dad is dead, they could be separated, or sent back to Cuba. When they get confronted about bills and other things, they lie to the people and say that their dad is out of town or he is feeling sick. They cover it up pretty well. The conflict of their dad dying and them not having enough money, would be really hard. The Bronx can be a hard place to live, but these 2 kids from Cuba are as tough as nails. One day Michael is out playing some ball, and he sees a burglar. He decides to try and stop him by throwing a baseball at him. It works Michaels arm is no joke. Michael earns praise and fame for this act. Although he is trying to stay under the radar, people recognize him for being a hero. Manny is Michaels best friend and a elderly lady named Mrs.Cora help the boys while Carlos works two jobs to support them.
At the end of the book Michael still had no birth certificate, so he cant play. So he serves as a base coach. EL Grande, a Cuban baseball player for the Yankees shows up to one of the games. He had gotten Michaels birth certificate ahead of time. At this time Michael can finally play. Michael plays and helps his team get a big win. I strongly recommend reading this book. It shows you that you can do hard things and learn lessons. It pays to be a good person. It helps you be more happy and others to feel the same joy. If you want to feel joy, start by trying to help others feel happiness and it will make you a better person.
At the start of the book it starts off in Cuba and not long after that Carlos and Michael are in the south Bronx alone in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. I think that is a great part of setting and a key part on why Michael loves baseball so much. He listens so all the games and he is not a bad player himself. Michael is 12 years old, but has no birth certificate. Soon he is noticed by some of the little league coaches, but they don't know how old he is or if he is even eligible to play.
In addition Carlos and Michael are living on the rough side of town helps the stay under the radar, but they still get questioned. If the police or any government people find out that their dad is dead, they could be separated, or sent back to Cuba. When they get confronted about bills and other things, they lie to the people and say that their dad is out of town or he is feeling sick. They cover it up pretty well. The conflict of their dad dying and them not having enough money, would be really hard. The Bronx can be a hard place to live, but these 2 kids from Cuba are as tough as nails. One day Michael is out playing some ball, and he sees a burglar. He decides to try and stop him by throwing a baseball at him. It works Michaels arm is no joke. Michael earns praise and fame for this act. Although he is trying to stay under the radar, people recognize him for being a hero. Manny is Michaels best friend and a elderly lady named Mrs.Cora help the boys while Carlos works two jobs to support them.
At the end of the book Michael still had no birth certificate, so he cant play. So he serves as a base coach. EL Grande, a Cuban baseball player for the Yankees shows up to one of the games. He had gotten Michaels birth certificate ahead of time. At this time Michael can finally play. Michael plays and helps his team get a big win. I strongly recommend reading this book. It shows you that you can do hard things and learn lessons. It pays to be a good person. It helps you be more happy and others to feel the same joy. If you want to feel joy, start by trying to help others feel happiness and it will make you a better person.