I thought this book was exquisite.The author, Matt Tavares, did an amazing job on capturing the importance of Ted Williams. When I picked this book, I had no idea who Williams was, but Tavares made me fall in love with his story. I loved that the story started of with Ted as a child and his insecurity with being skinny. He was often made fun of and called "bird legs". I think that was extremely ironic considering he became the best hitter of all time. Maybe his legs weren't his best asset, but his arms brought him fame and success. I also found it extremely interesting that he was also a war hero. He went to two wars and worked his hardest to be successful in that. Ted Williams was a very passionate man who did not give up. It is amazing to me that he was offered to play in the big leagues at only seventeen years old. This man hit more homers than I have ever heard of, and he deserved all the praise that came to him. What a great book to honor such a great man! ( )

The story of Ted Williams, the greatest hitter in baseball history. The story goes through his entire life starting when he was young and hustled to get in shape and play baseball. It paid off when he was signed,to play baseball at 17 years old. He became the best hitter of all time, but not without some hiccups like going to war twice! He went to both World War II and the Korean war as a fighter pilot and still came back to play baseball. ( )

This is a biography of a boy who wanted only one thing in life. He wanted to be the best baseball player ever and wanted to be known for something with this great sport. The author shows his life as a young boy beginning to learn the sport until he became the legendary hero of the game, and was known as the player who was the greatest hitter who ever lived.

Matt Tavares is an enthusiastic, joyful fan of baseball; his delight for, and exhilaration over the sport comes through in all of his books. Ted Williams is a perfect subject for Tavares since Williams also had so much enthusiasm for the game.

Tavares tells what a hero Williams was, in spite of his reputation for being a jerk by throwing tantrums, cursing, dissing the fans, and so on. But most baseball fans have excused him, because he was just too good not to appreciate. He was Tavares’ father’s childhood idol.

The book explains just how and why Williams was so amazing – both on and off the baseball field. For example, Williams was a figher-pilot Marine hero both in World War II and Korea. His military service took nearly five full years out of his career, nearly all in his prime, yet he still managed to amass amazing batting numbers. Most modern statistical analyses place Williams, along with Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, among the three best hitters to have played the game. And his service garnered him accolades as well, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The illustrations (watercolor, gouache, and pencil), also by Tavares, are up to the author/illustrator’s usual high standards in terms of historical authenticity and the ability to capture action and convey emotions.

At the back of the book there are background notes and a page of statistics.

Evaluation: I don’t like watching baseball, but I sure love reading about the heroes who have participated in the game. This is a great book, and not just for baseball fans!

2012 Junior Library Guild Selection
2012 Oppenheim Gold Seal Award
2012 Booklist Top Ten Sports Books for Youth
2012 New England Book Award finalist

Note: This is an author you should get to know. Besides producing well-researched great books, he spends a lot of time with kids, reading, signing books, and sharing his love of baseball! ( )

Well written, well presented. This was an exceptional picture book biography. As a fan of baseball, I liked it all the more. How cool would it have been to see Ted Williams play? ( )