Becoming Babe Ruth

Matt Tavares's striking homage to one of baseball's legends offers a rare view into Babe Ruth's formative years in "the House that built Ruth."

Before he is known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lot of trouble. But when he turns seven, his father brings him to the gates of Saint Mary's Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed forever. At Saint Mary's, he's expected to study hard and follow a lot of rules. But there is one good thing about Saint Mary's: almost every day, George gets to play baseball. Here, under the watchful eye of Brother Matthias, George evolves as a player and as a man, and when he sets off into the wild world of big-league baseball, the school, the boys, and Brother Matthias are never far from his heart. With vivid illustrations and clear affection for his subject, Matt Tavares sheds light on an icon who learned early that life is what you make of it -- and sends home a message about honoring the place from which you came.
Back matter includes an author's note, Babe Ruth's career statistics, and a bibliography.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 02/12/2013
ISBN: 9780763656461
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 12.00h x 10.10w x 0.40d
Award: Delaware Diamonds Award - Winner
Award: Beehive Awards - Nominee
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award - Nominee
Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Garden State Children's Book Awards - Nominee

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 12/17/2012
Booklist 01/01/2013 pg. 98
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2013 pg. 109
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2013 pg. 312
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2013
School Library Journal 03/01/2013 pg. 144
New York Times Book Review 03/10/2013 pg. 18
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2013 - Superior,Well Above Average

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 156563 / Becoming Babe Ruth
Reading Level: 4.1 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5