Goodbye, Mr. Spalding

Description: Set in Philadelphia during the Great Depression, this historical novel tells the story of a 12-year-old boy and his best friend as they attempt to stop a wall from being built at Shibe Park, home of the Philadelphia Athletics, that would block the view of the baseball field from their rooftops.

Review Quotes: ★ "(I)nformative, entertaining, nostalgic, and...humorous. Background information and primary source photos about Athletics personnel, Shibe Park, the bleacher community, and the Spalding Baseball Company help readers to better understand the story. This novel works well as a read-aloud and would be a great addition to the history curriculum."--School Library Connection, starred review

"This appealing historical middle-grade novel is perfect for fans of beloved baseball-centered novels like Linda Sue Park's Keeping Score. Barr knows her baseball history and brings rich detail to mid-1930s Philadelphia...sports fanatics will eat up the appended material. A sweet debut about friendship and the love of the game."--Booklist

"Barr carefully constructs a well-paced adventure...completely accessible to modern readers. All the characters...are well-developed...(and) (q)uotes from the 1934 Sporting News...further illuminate the actual events. Life lessons, baseball, and good friends; it's all here." --Kirkus Reviews