A Whole New Ballgame
by Phil Bildner
This
chapter book is about two best friends, Rip and Red, and their year in fifth
grade. The book opens on their first day of school. Rip and Red soon learn that
this year is going to be very different than they expected due to district
budget cuts. Red, who is a secondary character with autism, does not like this
unknown change in events. The boy’s fifth grade teacher, Mr. Acevedo, likes to
do everything different and unexpected, something that proves to be a challenge
for Red. The two share a love for basketball, and together go out for the fifth
grade team…only to find more unexpected change. The team structure has changed
to include a co-ed team who plays other teams from around the country. Because
of Red’s autism, his mother does not want him to play in games because he does
not like unwanted touch. However Mr. Acevedo agrees to allow him to practice
with the team and not play games. As team struggles without Red’s shooting
skills, will Red get the chance to play in his first game? Read this book to
find out!
The
portrayal of Red’s autism in this book was not quite what I expected. The story
is told from Rip’s perspective, who is an amazing friend to Red. However,
because of this, I didn’t feel like Red got the chance to fully develop as a character.
I thought it would have been beneficial to see inside the mind of Red, instead
of only hearing about his nervous habits, excessive precision, and need for
consistency. Because of this, I felt like Red stayed the character with autism,
and even faded as the story progressed and became more centralized around just
Rip. At the same time, autism is portrayed accurately in Red’s actions, but the
reader just never gets the chance to see things from his perspective.
I would
recommend this book to an audience around the same age as Rip and Red. This
book is actually the first in a series of three books about the two best
friends and their adventures. Readers who love sports and friendship are sure
to enjoy this read. For more information about autism, check out www.autismspeaks.org
