The World Series: Baseball's Biggest Stage

Gr 4–6—Doeden, a sports writer who has written numerous books for children, provides a history of the World Series. Because the event dates back to 1903—beginning formally when two leagues, the American League and the National League, agreed to play a "best-of-seven series in October"—much of this history can be found in other titles. Doeden highlights a variety of topics in chapters such as "Unforgettable: The Greatest World Series Games Ever Played," "Coming up Clutch: The Best World Series Performers," and "From the Black Sox to the Bloody Sock: Memorable World Series Moments." Readers may be inspired to compare these "best" and "greatest" to those described in other sources, such as James Buckley's World Series (DK, 2004). What makes this book stand out is the brief section with paragraphs on other baseball championships: the College World League, the Negro World League, and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, to name a few. Vintage photographs are included along with new colorful action shots in an attractive arrangement that moves the narrative text along. The book concludes with a two-page chart listing World Series results from 1903 to 2012. Here is a chance to update older collections with a new and appealing overview.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA