Baseball book is a hit with boys and girls

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For some kids, spring means a chance to get out and ride bikes, play in the yard, pretend with friends, and mess around in the park.

And then there are the kids who think the word "spring" is always followed by "training" and "out" doesn't just mean "not inside."

For those kids, there's "How Baseball Works" by Keltie Thomas. This is a book that explains all the things you wondered about the game, the things your dad and mom don't know, and the heroes who made baseball what it is.

Did you ever wonder why some baseballs pop up and some are slammed out of the field? How are player's stats figured out? How come the field is striped and why can't you do that at home? Turns out that the answer to these questions lies in science.

First off, you can't have baseball without a ball (ever hear of a game called Base? Of course not! It even sounds wrong!) There are several things that make the baseball crack off the bat and fly in the outfield like it does. It has to do with the ball's jacket, its innards, the stitching and its shape, and with the bat itself. Did you know that a wooden bat actually bends when it connects with a ball?

And then there are the tools of the game: the gloves, the helmets, the padding and the masks. Back in the beginning of the baseball, nobody played with gloves. One of the first players to use a padded glove was called a sissy, but when everybody saw how it protected his hand, everybody started using them.

In this book, you'll read about a baseball player with a streak that "shouldn't have happened" and a pitcher who instructed his outfielders to sit down before he threw the ball. You'll find out about the food that makes a great player, and the unique (winning) sounds you'll hear at a baseball stadium. If you're a kid who loves the game, "How Baseball Works" puts you right in the sweet spot for baseball this year.

Is there a kid in your life who lives and breathes baseball? Then this is a book to have around the house, especially if you're always after him (or her) to pick up a book instead of a ball for just two minutes.

Thomas pitches this book to kids on two levels. Those who love the game will be drawn into fun-to-know factoids about baseball, and kids who are more science-minded will love the easy experiments.

Parents will really appreciate that both boys and girls are represented in this book's photographs, and there's also a handy glossary in the back, so anyone can walk the bases and talk the lingo.

For 7- to 15-year-old baseball fans, Little Leaguers, or budding scientists, you can't go wrong with this book. "How Baseball Works" is a double play for all.

Terri Schlichenmeyer's book reviews appear weekly in the View. She can be reached by e-mail at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.