Author/Illustrator: Maria Testa/Scott Hunt
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2002
Genre: Poetry
Audience: Gr. 3+
Awards: Maine Lupine Award Winner; ALA Notable Book for Children; Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Book; IRA Children’s Choices Award
Overview: Joseph Paul, named after baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio, intertwines his Italian heritage, family, and baseball in aspects of his life. This novel in verse is an easy, yet thoughtful read, for anyone who knows baseball.
Activity: The poems, told from a first person perspective, seem to beg readers to take pen to paper and try their hand at free-verse writing. Try it. This is a home-run win.
Reviewer’s Name: Deb Marciano
