A boy who loves baseball must get past his hard-working immigrant parents--and the Rhino in the outfield--to become a batboy in this laugh-out-loud middle grade novel in the tradition of The Sandlot.
Nick will need to keep his eye on the ball and find the courage to face his fears--oh yeah, and stay one step ahead of Tank--in this fast, funny story about a game that can throw you some curveballs--just like life.
All while dodging the school bully, who\'s determined to win even by playing dirty.
How\'s a lousy fielder going to win the contest? One thing Nick knows how to do is work hard, and he practices every day with his best friend, Ace, and a new girl named Penny, who has an impressive throwing arm But that\'s not enough--to get to the contest, Nick resorts to a plan that has him lying to his parents and blackmailing his uncle.
Nick\'s experience getting the ball out of Tank\'s pen has left him frozen with fear whenever a fly ball comes his way.
Nick and his friends play ball Right in the city zoo--and Tank lives just beyond the Right Field fence.
A 2, 000-pound rhinoceros named Tank.
There\'s one other tiny--well, not so tiny--problem.
Nick\'s goal--to be a Mudpuppy for a day But the contest is on a Saturday--the day Nick has to work in his father\'s shop.
The local baseball team is having a batboy contest.
Now he\'s looking for his own American dream and he thinks he\'s found it.
For twelve whole years, he\'s done what his hard-working, immigrant parents want him to do.
Nick wants to change his life.
A boy who loves baseball must get past his hard-working immigrant parents--and the Rhino in the outfield--to become a batboy in this laugh-out-loud middle grade novel in the tradition of The Sandlot
