Becoming Joe Dimaggio
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Book Overview
"With ineffable tenderness and absolute clarity, Testa tells a tale in blank verse. . . . Powerfully moving as it braids together baseball, family, and the Italian-American experience." -- Booklist (starred review) It's 1936, and the Yankees have just hired a star center fielder whose name sounds like music. What could be a better time for Papa-Angelo's grandson to be born? Christened after the legendary ballplayer, young Joseph Paul learns much at his Italian grandfather's knee -- about holding your breath in front of the radio during a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and having the audacity to dream big dreams. "Each poem is a perfect, gripping chapter," says Kirkus Reviews in a starred review of this novel in verse, which honors the timeless bond between a grandson and his immigrant grandfather -- and the process of finding one's own place in a brave new world.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:B0099RZEOW
ISBN13:9780763624446
Release Date:February 2005
Publisher:Candlewick Press (MA)
Length:64 Pages
Weight:0.20 lbs.
Dimensions:0.2" x 5.1" x 8.1"
Age Range:10 years and up
Grade Range:Grade 5 and higher
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Family, dreams and finding your way -- a home run!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
I picked up Becoming Joe DiMaggio out of curiosity when researching some young adult literature for a class I was taking, and just fell in love with it. With an economy of words, Maria Testa paints a portrait of a boy, his grandfather, and the iconic baseball player that had a generation cheering. This would be a wonderful basis for classroom discussions/writing assignments on dreams, family, how poetry can evoke emotions with so few words. It can even be used to tie in math (baseball statistics, prompted by the poem "The Streak"), social studies (World War II), and even moral issues (the bombing of Hiroshima, domestic abuse). I recommend this highly for any student or teacher from fourth through 8th grade, and possibly even into high school.
A not-to-be-missed diamond
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
With a spare, beautiful text, Testa creates poignant characters and a passionate story. Every word counts here. "Becoming Joe DiMaggio" is a story for all generations. This book would be a lovely, thoughtful gift for all ages.
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