I love books where all sorts of little elements are set in place, and then they all come together and everything fits and you just sit back and admire it. For me, Mudville was one of those books. It's got a town where it never stops raining, curses, a dad who can't cook, old rivalries, and lots and lots of baseball. And it all melds together into an engaging and surprisingly (for me) exciting story. I say surprisingly because I personally am not the world's biggest baseball fan. But because of the contagious enthusiasm of the characters, I loved it along with them in MUDVILLE. I am so glad I had the chance to read this book!

One of the biggest struggles I have is finding good books for middle school boys. "Girl" books are everywhere. There are countless blogs that review pretty much only girl books. Ones that review mostly boy books? ummm, I'm still looking. But in Mudville I have found a boy's book that I can recommend 110%. Yes it's a story about baseball (ask me how much I learned about the depth of the communication between the catcher and pitcher or the strategy of baseball!) but it's also a story about the one moment that defines you - that sets you on the path to what kind of person you will be. The main character Roy has such a moment when facing the pitcher in a game 22 years delayed.

What I liked most - Roy's pure love of the game. I am not a follower of baseball, but Roy makes me want to become one! His love and understanding of the game takes a bunch of kids that don't always know which way to run around the bases and makes them a team. He coaches them. Helps set up the field. Encourages them when they want to quit. And keeps them going when the entire town is watching. (Did I mention he's only 12?) They are underdogs in every sense of the word - but Roy's unfailing determination won't let them believe it - and you won't believe it either.

It's a rare book that makes me want to play baseball. This book really captures everything about the game--the author (hi Kurtis) clearly loves the game, and it infuses every bit of every character. The rivalries, the importance of the game to this sodden town, the cultural and personal heritages caught up with baseball... every page of this book is a mash note to the sport, and I mean that in a good way.

It's not all baseball, though--there's a family story here, brotherhood and parents and general familial relationships to each other. It could be very sappy, but none of the characters are perfect--they're all flawed in their individual ways, giving even the characters with little screen time or deep importance to the plot dimension and earning them sympathy. It would be easy to give some of these characters no redeeming qualities, but Scaletta tempers the bad and/or neglectful behaviors with hints that these parents do love their children--they just can't be good parents, for whatever reason. Their flaws make them human.

Full disclosure: Kurtis is someone I'm proud and honored to call my friend, but I'd say these things even if he weren't. Because this is a sports book that interested me, even though I, the terminally graceless and uncoordinated, have no interest in sports, particularly baseball. I still don't fully understand in words what makes the game so great--but on a gut level, I think I understand it perfectly. ( )

I love this book so much I've read it about a dozen times. Then again, it's not like I could say no when my darling husband asks me to read another draft.

Of course I can't really write an objective review of my hubby's book, but I can honestly say I love it and think everyone else will love it too. ( )

An okay book about a town cursed with rain for 20 years; a curse that started with a baseball game between two rival towns. When the rain finally stops, the two teams get a chance to finish the game that started the curse in the first place. ( )