by Bruce Brooks
First published 2014
A kid sits in the bleachers watching pitchers warm up, but none of them move like the stories say Sandy Koufax did. The protagonist searches through old photographs, newspaper clippings, and family memories to understand what made the Dodgers lefthander special. Was it really his blazing fastball that batters couldn't catch up to? His curveball that dropped off tables? Or something else entirely? Through conversations with grandparents who saw him pitch and dusty baseball cards that capture frozen moments, the young fan pieces together why Koufax became a legend. The search becomes more than just learning about statistics and strikeouts. It becomes about understanding how someone can be great at what they do, and what that greatness means to the people who witness it.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, sports, baseball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, sports-hero
Setting: Dodgers
Period: 20th-century
Hardcover · Atheneum Books for Young Readers