Babe Ruth The Baseball Curse David A Kelly by David A. Kelly 9780375956034, 0375956034 instant download after payment.

Grade 3–6—While this book is in part a biography, it mainly covers the history of the "Curse of the Bambino." This superstition dates back to the year that the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, and many Boston fans believe it is the reason for the team's poor showing in the World Series. The book provides a modern context by describing the heartbreaking loss of the Sox to the Yankees in 2003. It goes on to give a brief but balanced account of the life of Babe Ruth, including some of the unsavory aspects of his behavior and personality. Kelly ends on a happy note, with the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series. The theme of luck, both good and bad, runs throughout the tale. Play-by-play descriptions of important games will keep baseball fanatics reading to the end.—Kathleen Meulen, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA END

Kelly offers a fairly extensive look at the famous curse that seemingly dogged the Boston Red Sox after they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The first part of the book follows the early life and career of Ruth and then moves on to accounts of the Red Sox’s World Series appearances, culminating in 2004, when the curse seemed to break. The book’s strongest portion focuses on Ruth’s career in Boston, with a quick summary of his success as a pitcher and his conflicts with the team’s owner. Other chapters drag a bit, however, and now that the curse is broken, baseball fans beyond Boston may not find this as interesting as they once would have. Still, many sports readers will find this enjoyable. Pair this with Dan Shaughnessy’s The Legend of the Curse of the Bambino (2005), which presents similar material in picture-book format. Grades 3-5. --Todd Morning