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Young readers book reviews for ages 8 to 12 years old




*Strike Three, You're Dead (Lenny and the Mikes)* by Josh Berk - middle grades book review
Strike Three, You're Dead (Lenny and the Mikes)
by Josh Berk
Ages 8-12 256 pages Knopf March 2013 Hardcover    


Lenny Norbeck loves baseball; he lives and breathes it. He doesn’t play it competitively (he says he is the “worst there ever was”), but he doesn’t let that deter him and his love for the game.

His parents are both doctors and clearly want to urge their son to do the same in the future. Lenny has other plans. He hates science.

His friend Mike thinks it would be fun to enter Lenny into the Armchair Announcer contest. This contest, however, is not just any kind of contest. It's a sports announcer contest, and the winner is to receive free tickets to Lenny’s all-time favorite Major League Baseball team: the Philadelphia Phillies. The winner will also receive the ultimate prize: a chance to announce a full inning of Phillies baseball.

For his entry, Lenny doesn’t want to announce any modern Phillies--he wants to pick a “golden oldie.” Both Mike and Other Mike are surprised when Lenny not only agrees to enter the contest but also acts the real professional.

To Lenny’s surprise, he wins the competition. He now gets the opportunity of a lifetime. His dad and he make a day of going to the game in Philadelphia. There Lenny not only gets to announce the game: he also meets the starting pitcher, RJ Weathers. It's RJ Weathers' first major league start, fresh from the minor leagues.

Lenny doesn't actually end up being able to announce his inning. The game has been cancelled--due to a MURDER! RJ Weathers was murdering on the pitching mound. RJ didn’t seem suspicious when Lenny met him earlier that day. Why did this happen? And, most, importantly who was the culprit of this cold-blooded murder?

Follow Lenny, Mike and Other Mike on their adventure from making a list of suspects to trying to break the code of murder. Author Josh Berk keeps you on the edge of your seats during this one, keeping you guessing throughout the book. Berk really hits a home run with this selection in the young reader mystery category.
 

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