Fair Ball
Sale price
$1697
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2017 · Est. 4.5 hour read

Fair Ball

Written by Derek Jeter

Book #4 in the The Contract series

Derek's summer unravels as friendship woes threaten his baseball dreams.

4.5/5 Goodreads · 223 ratings
176 pages· 31,522 words· Est. 4.5 hour read
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Bookroo's summary

Derek's summer plans crumble when his best friend Dave starts acting distant, leaving him puzzled and distracted. As finals approach and the Little League playoffs heat up, Derek's focus wavers, leading to a costly mistake on the field. With the championship and his grades at risk, Derek must navigate the challenges of friendship and fairness. Can he find a way to balance it all, or will his summer be a strikeout?

From the publisher

Inspired by Derek Jeter’s own life, Fair Ball is the fourth middle grade novel in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing Program and focuses on the theme “the world isn’t always fair.” Life isn’t always fair. You can’t control that, but you can control how you think and act when things don’t go your way. You have to hang in there and keep after it, not get down and give up. Derek has a lot to look forward to. School is almost out, his baseball team is competing in the Westwood Little League Playoffs, and then he’ll head to his grandparents’ house for the summer. Sure, there are finals to study for first, but Derek doesn’t mind. Maybe this year he’ll get better grades than Gary. But when his best friend Dave starts to act strangely, ignoring Derek and canceling their plans, his summer isn’t looking quite so fun. What’s going on? Doesn’t he want to be Derek’s friend anymore? Derek is so distracted by his problems with Dave that he makes a mistake in the outfield during a key play–and his team loses the game. It’s so unfair! With the championship at stake and finals looming, Derek needs to stay focused or risk everything.

At a glance
Format
Hardcover
Pages
176
Words
31,522
Reading age
8–12
Audience
Middle Grade
Lexile
730L
Themes & topics
Books about friendshipBooks about baseballBooks about basketballBooks about sports and recreationBooks about childhood
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The The Contract series

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The Contract

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Hit & Miss

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Strike Zone

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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
4.7
F&P level
~Q
AR points
5
AR interest level
MG
AR quiz
189297
Publication
Published
April 18, 2017
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9781481491488

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