Josh LeBlanc, last seen in Baseball Great (2009), returns to discover more about the seamier side of sports. First, he is seriously injured by an intentional beanball. This, however, doesn't keep him from playing with his traveling team in a prestigious tournament, during which he discovers that a retired superstar is paying off an umpire so that his son's team can win. Josh and his budding-reporter friend, Jaden, foil the plan with the help of Bob Costas, who makes a brief guest appearance as sportscaster and crime stopper. Once again, Green effectively blends exciting sports and adventure.

Gr 5-8 In this sequel to the author's popular Baseball Great (HarperCollins, 2009), 12-year-old Josh LeBlanc has his hands full as he tries to lead his team to victory in the Hall of Fame National Championship Tournament. As a consequence of being purposely beaned in an early-round game, he has to have eye surgery; he is briefly detained after sneaking into the Hall of Fame with his buddy Benji; he thinks he's losing his sort-of girlfriend to the handsome son of a former major league star; and he is interviewed on national TV by legendary announcer Bob Costas. He uncovers a plot on the part of the former major leaguer to fix the games in the tournament and makes an escape by motorboat from a crooked, shotgun-wielding umpire, all the while performing on the field at a nearly superhuman level. There is certainly a lot going on, not all of it entirely plausible, but everything is handled with a light, deft touch. A highlight of the book is the banter between Josh and Benji, much of which is genuinely hilarious. Real baseball aficionados will appreciate the treatment of some of the more subtle nuances of the game. Enjoyable, unpretentious escapism for youngsters, especially reluctant readers. Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT

Josh, the amazingly gifted baseball player introduced in Baseball Great (2009), finds new intrigue. This time, a retired Major League player turned actor is flamboyantly supporting his son, the pitcher on a rival team. Right from the beginning, Green makes plain the mishaps and pain that are involved in serious dedication to a sport. Cheating, once again, is the focus, with Josh's daring, Benji's humorous brash talk and Jaden's journalistic dedication all combining to uncover the wrongdoing. Although this is not an especially difficult plot to understand, there is yet a complexity of interconnecting factors that draws the reader in, along with some Hollywood-type glitz and folderol. Some little-known aspects of the sport are shown, but the focus is less on the actual games than on the off-the-field activities and influences. Not much of the plot is realistic, and peripheral characters are stereotypes. Dedicated fans who delight in the details will appreciate the sleuthing, but many will long for more play-by-play time. (Mystery. 11-15)