Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too October 19, 2007
TeensReadToo.com (All Over the US & Canada)
Seth Barnam's father was a golfer, and it probably would have been Seth's game, too, but his dad died when Seth was only seven. Coming to terms with his father's death was difficult for Seth, but then he met Jimmy Winter. Jimmy has lots of baseball talent, and a father that demands perfection from him. The boys become fast friends, and both sign up for Little League, even though Seth feels inadequate compared to his new friend.
Their time together is spent practicing baseball, with Jimmy's father usually there to coach them and urge them to improve. Jimmy's intensity and self-assurance on the playing field begins to rub off onto Seth, too. He improves as a student and as a baseball player, and he dreams of being as good as Jimmy.
Then Jimmy's home life begins to unravel; his father is drinking too much and then his parents divorce. Seth is at a loss when Jimmy is caught drinking and suspended from the team. Jimmy just can't seem to get his life back on track, and his choices lead to an unexpected result.
This is an exciting novel, loaded with baseball action. It will have an intense appeal to anyone interested in that sport, but the main focus is on the friendship that develops between Seth and Jimmy, and of coping with the consequences of foolish choices, and the grief of dealing with incomprehensible loss. It's easy to read with well-developed, likable characters, a gripping plot, and plenty of action. I highly recommend this book, especially for boys, but girls will also enjoy this story of a forever kind of friendship.
Notes: An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Best Book for Reluctant Readers A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Book of the Year.
Reviewed by: Grandma Bev
A good book about baseball March 12, 2001
This is a book about Seth and his friend Jimmy. Seth has never played baseball before and now Jimmy has taught him to. This is a great book for all baseball players and fans.
A great story about friendship, baseball, and growing up. June 11, 1999
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
HEART OF A CHAMPION tells a story about two very different boys, and what brings them together. Seth's father recently died, and he's feeling lost. He meets Jimmy Winter and so the story begins. Seth and Jimmy learn about life while they learn about baseball. They celebrate their victories and their failures on the field and in life. This book deals with important issues such as death, divorce, alcoholism and peer pressure. Deuker's dialogue is realistic, and you can hear the crack of the bat in his baseball descriptions. The plot moves along quickly, and keeps interest levels high. This is a good book even for someone who really doesn't read much for pleasure. I highly recommend it.
This is a great story about baseball, growing up and friends June 11, 1999
HEART OF A CHAMPION tells a story about two very different boys, and what brought them together. Seth's father had recently died, and Jimmy's parents eventually split up. They help each other through friendship and baseball. The book has realistic dialogue between teenagers, and confronts issues like divorce, teen drinking, and popularity. Deuker describes the baseball scenes so well you can hear the crack of the bat. The plot moves right along, and keeps interest levels high. Even kids who don't normally like to read for pleasure will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.
Heart of a Champion is a great book. June 11, 1999
Heart of a Champion, written by Carl Deuker, is a heartwarming, yet interesting novel. The book tells the story of two young boys. One, gifted with acedemics and good morals. And the other, truly gifted with the ability to play baseball, but sometimes gets himself into trouble. The two boys, Seth and Jimmy, become best friends throughout the novel. Despite the fact the two boys come from different types of families, they still manage to stay close throughout their years together. This novel teaches very valuable life-long lessons. It teaches you how to care for your friends and how to help them. This novel would influence many young readers and may even help them in life. Readers of all ages would enjoy reading this unique novel. I enjoyed reading Heart of a Champion, and I think you would too!
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