Operation Baby-Sitter

July 1, 1999
Gr 1-4-Christopher opens this beginning chapter book in the midst of a soccer game with the score tied. Later, 10-year-old Bundy, the team captain, discovers that his grandfather, who had been looking after him after school and during the summer, is moving to Florida. When Bundy's parents tell him that they have hired a baby-sitter, he is sure that his teammates will make fun of him. However, he has second thoughts when the sitter arrives with her soccer gear. Only the main character is developed and Bundy's relationships with the rest of the team are nonexistent. Still, the boy's concerns are very real-how to play well, how to keep the truth hidden from his friends, how to be a good captain and role model-and young readers will identify with him and be engaged by the action. Also, the message, to give everyone a chance, is a positive one. Most of the full-page black-and-white cartoons show Bundy practicing and playing soccer.-Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 1999
A new (posthumously published) chapter-book series mixes action-packed soccer sequences with positive messages. In "The Captain Contest", ten-year-old Dewey suggests a compromise: he will design the team logo; his pal Bundy will be team captain. "Operation Baby-Sitter" finds Bundy struggling to be a role model on and off the field. Although the dialogue lacks zip, the play-by-play soccer commentary will capture sports fans' interest. Black-and-white drawings accompany each story.

(Copyright 1999 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)