Out of the Park!: True Stories of the Greatest Players Who Changed the Game

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Out of the Park! is an officially licensed collection of true baseball stories to teach kids about the greatest baseball players, from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, their major historical moments, and their love of the game.

Celebrate the greatest baseball players of all time, their major historical moments, and their love for the game with this illustrated collection of true baseball stories for kids.

Officially licensed with the Hall of Fame, Out of the Park! follows the incredible careers and lives of your favorite ballplayers, from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter. Organized by key aspects of the game, each chapter features biographical snapshots of four players who excelled in that arena--from hitting to fielding to leadership on and off the field--as well as fun facts, historical trivia, infamous quotes, important stats and baseball lingo, and photos from the Hall of Fame's collection.

Some of the significant players and their historical moments include:

 Babe Ruth establishes a single-season home run record that will last for 34 years in 1927.Ted Williams finishes the 1941 season with an average above .400, a magical mark attained by only a few.Joe DiMaggio establishes what many argue is baseball’s most “unbreakable” record—a 56-game winning streak—in 1941.Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby break the MLB color barrier in the landmark 1947 season.Derek Jeter, “Captain Clutch,” plays his last game, 2014, ending in a walk-off single to win the game.

Kids in the middle grades will meet over 150 players in this all-encompassing collection, your go-to reference for learning about great athletes. Authored by prolific sportswriter James Buckley Jr., Out of the Park! is the perfect addition to any sports library.

About the Author

James Buckley Jr. has been writing sports books for adults and young readers for more than 25 years after working for Sports Illustrated and NFL Publishing. Among his most popular titles are National Baseball Hall of Fame Collection, America’s Classic Ballparks, Ballpark Bucket List, Perfect: The Story of Baseball’s Perfect Games, Unhittable, Eyewitness Baseball, The Visual Dictionary of Baseball, and Obsessed with Baseball. He is the author of more than 20 sports biographies for young readers, including the graphic nonfiction title Babe Ruth: Baseball’s All-Time Best. His company, Shoreline Publishing Group, produces dozens of books each year for major publishers including Penguin, Scholastic, DK, National Geographic Kids, Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, and many others.