Free Baseball

by Sue Corbett

Book Overview

Felix knows his dad was a famous baseball player in Cuba--and that his father risked everything to send Felix to America. But his mom won't reveal anything else. When a team with Cuban players comes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142410802
• ISBN13: 9780142410806
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

WOW! is all I can say...

Free Baseball By: Sue Corbett Free Baseball was I warm story about I Cuba boy who escaped. Felix, the boy, was the main character in this great story. Felix was a boy whose dad was a Cuba baseball star, and dreamed about nothing but baseball. Sue Corbett wrote this story well, and I really treasured it. One part I liked was the part where Felix had just escaped on the bus. He ran away from his "evil" babysitter and was named the new ball boy of the opposing team. Felix slides in a small compartment and hides till the bus stops. Felix realizes it was foolish to do it because it got hot and un-cozy. The next part I really liked is when he met the team mascot who was a dog named Miracle. Miracle was really important to the team because he was the only reason fans came to the games. He would run around the bases when one of the players hit a homerun. He also lived right in the stadium and could catch fly balls. The last part was when Felix met a Cuban named Diaz. Diaz didn't speak much English but understood what people were talking about. Felix and Diaz became kind of best friends while Felix was a run away. Diaz was known as the team slugger and was one of the newer players. Diaz also said he met Felix's dad. In conclusion Free Baseball was an about a boy named Felix who ran away from home during a baseball game. Felix was soon known to be the ball boy while he traveled with the team. He met a man named Diaz and met a "miracle" of a dog on his journey. Free Baseball was one of the best books I ever read. D. Williams

Winning Streak for the Miracle

My 13-year-old son and I both deeply enjoyed this book. There's much to take from Free Baseball -- a peek behind the scenes of a minor-league team, reminders on the sacrifices that people make from freedom, tips on taunting umpires, insight into relationships torn by immigration and politics. Tightly written and fast-paced, it's amazing that Free Baseball can construct such a vivid world in such a short book. Our only criticism is that we would have been happy to have read twice as much about Felix and The Miracle.

A Home Run for Sue Corbett

I am both a baseball fan and a fan of Sue Corbett, and she does not disappoint with Free Baseball. It is not so much a baseball story as it is the journey of Felix Piloto as he struggles to reconcile his feelings for his father, a baseball hero in Cuba who Felix has not seen since he and his mother escaped Cuba to make a home in Florida. Felix has inherited his father's passion for baseball, and that takes Felix on a difficult journey when he becomes the batboy for a minor league team. Sue is a baseball fan and it shows in the way she accurately depicts the action on the field, but it is the richly drawn characters who really shine. My favorites are Homer, the highly intelligent dog who serves as team mascot; and Vic, the team president, a character I suspect was inspired by Mike Veeck, a colorful minor league baseball executive known for his wild promotions. Free Baseball is a terrific read, both fun and heartwarming. It kept me up far too late as I could not put it down until I reached the end. Now comes the hard part: waiting for Sue's next book to arrive.

A rich and heartwarming story

Felix Piloto is the son of a famous baseball player in Cuba. He knows that his father risked everything to send him and his mother to America, but he doesn't know when his father will be able to join them in Florida. One day Felix wins free tickets to a minor-league game. He sneaks into the locker room to ask one of the Cuban players about his father and is mistaken for their new batboy. He impulsively stows away in the luggage compartment of the bus and wakes up in West Lauderdale, Florida, miles away from home. Felix, who is a huge baseball fan and a great player himself, is in heaven. He endears himself to the entire team and even helps them break their losing streak. He wants to stay with the team forever, but knows he can't. Sue Corbett, the author of 12 AGAIN, delivers a home run with her second middle-grade novel. Felix Piloto is a richly drawn character, full of contradictions; vulnerable yet assertive, agreeable yet stubborn. The book even contains a helpful glossary of baseball terms and Spanish phrases. I am not a huge baseball fan, but I loved this story. Corbett has hit the ball out of the park with FREE BASEBALL. --- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner (renee.kirchner@usa.net)

If you love baseball

you will love this book. Young baseball player Felix Piloto runs away from his annoying babysitter to become the batboy of a minor league team, The Miracle. In his journey, he learns more about the father he never knew, becomes friends with the entire baseball team, and meets a magical dog, Homer. This is a really good book and you've got to read it. It is a little sad sometimes but it is funny too like when Felix has to go to the store for the team to buy a bat stretcher!