Babe Ruth Saves Baseball! by Frank Murphy

Babe Ruth Saves Baseball! by Frank Murphy, illustrated by Richard Walz

Rating: 5 stars

"Everyone knows something about George Herman Ruth," author Frank Murphy writes at the start of this Step 3 Easy Reader.  And it's true.  At the very least, you know that Babe Ruth was one of the best--if not The Best--ball players in the history of the game.

But did you know that he saved baseball?  I sure didn't.

Murphy tells the story of a time when things sure seemed a whole lot simpler--the early 20th century when baseball stars were heroes, and families gathered 'round the radio to listen to their favorite teams play when they couldn't get to the ballpark to see them and root them on in person.

In 1919, Babe Ruth was a Red Sox pitcher-turned-home run star; he hit home runs in every state he visited and played in, and people counted his home runs across America.  He was becoming a sensation, no doubt. Also in that year, the White Sox and Cincinnati Reds played in the World Series.  "But some White Sox players cheated.  People all across America found out.  People were shocked.  Many fans stopped going to the ball fields."

These devastated, disappointed fans needed something, or some one, to bring the spark back to baseball.  To give them a reason to care about the sport and the individuals who played it.  And that person could be, and was, Babe Ruth.

In 1920, Babe Ruth (famously or infamously, though Murphy doesn't make any fuss about it) moved to New York City to play for the Yankees.  He started talking about how many home runs he was going to hit that season--50, not the measly 29 he had hit the year prior--and got people curious and then excited to see if he could keep his word.  He sure did.  He hit 54.

Babe Ruth made kids fall in love with baseball all over again--I never knew that he signed hundreds of baseballs and then hid them around the city for people to find (hey, Nats, my son Ben thinks it'd be cool to do that again!).  A new ballpark--Yankee Stadium--was built and called "The House that Ruth Built." Guess who said he aimed to hit the first home run in the stadium?  Yup.  Babe. And guess who did what he said he'd do?  Yup.  Babe.

I've read this book three times to the kids, though Lorelei and Ben could easily read it by themselves.  At the end of each book, we're all in awe.  We all look up to Babe and the image he deliberately crafted for himself.  We talked about the World Series in which players cheated, and how important it is to be honest and how great it was that Babe Ruth did what he said he was going to do--that's how you gain people's trust.

There's so much kids (and their mamas!) can learn from this sport--both the history of it and actually playing it today.  I'm intrigued by that as I watch Ben and now Lorelei practice hitting, catching, and throwing their way through practices and ball games.  Of course I want to provide the cultural history, too, by reading books like this one to them.  But when it comes down to it, I know that Ben is just curious about how hard he can hit the ball, how high he can hit that ball, and how far he can hit that ball.  Just like Babe Ruth.

(To read my other reviews on baseball books, click HERE.)

George Washington and the General's Dog by Frank Murphy

George Washington and the General's Dog by Frank Murphy, illustrated by Richard Walz

Rating: 5 stars

Today Lorelei, Ben, Kiefer and I met my family at Mount Vernon, George Washinton's estate.  I've lived in Northern Virginia for ten years (the Army brat in me is shocked at being anywhere for this long) but this was my first trip there.

During the longish drive there, I quizzed the kids on what they knew about George Washington.  Here's what Ben (nearly 4) and Lorelei (5) knew:

• He was our first President.
• He chose not to be a king.
• He was the only President not to live in the White House.
• He lived in New York City.
• He admitted to chopping down a cherry tree.
• He was a soldier, a general, like Grand-Daddy.
• He loved animals, but especially loved dogs.
• His favorite dog was named Sweetlips.

I was proud of myself and impressed at their memory.  Once again, I'm amazed at how reading is entertainment and education all wrapped up together.  There are so many times when I'm floored by how much Lorelei has soaked up from books, especially the Magic School Bus series.  She is one smart cookie.

This book is a must-read for EVERYONE!  It is such a good tale about one of the most important characters in our country's history.  But it's also a good story of an act of kindness.  There is so much to know about Washington that I feel utterly unqualified to say much, but I will say that he reminds me that individuals matter.  One single man (or woman) can make such a difference in the course of history, in the lives of so many.  I want my kids to know more about him; this book is a perfect introduction.

The story starts off simply enough, and grabs any kid who likes any animal: Washington was an animal-lover, but dogs were his favorite.  (Would I like him as much if he was a cat-lover?  Probably not!)  He had a pack of dogs that amused him and annoyed Martha.  When he went away to fight in the Revolutionary War, he brought along his favorite dog, Sweetlips.  After the Battle of Germantown in 1777, a terrier was found wandering the fields.  Some soldiers in Washington's camp found him and realized that the dog belonged to the enemy, General Howe.  Washington's soldiers suggested he keep the dog as some sort of trophy for winning the battle, but Washington wouldn't hear of it.  A man and his dog must be kept together.

So, under a white flag of truce, Washington's aide returned the dog to Howe.

There are so many lessons in here that I don't know where to start.  I was really moved by the story the first time I read it, proud of our first President for such a simple and decent act.  My kids have such a hard time with losing and are so proud of themselves for winning--though the word "gloat" isn't in their vocabularies, they do it rather well.  But here's a tale of a winner who doesn't gloat, who recognizes the basic needs of his enemy and does the right thing.

I just love the story.  As soon as I read it I bought it and mailed it to my sister for her brood to have--my sister has framed pictures of George and Martha "as every American should have!"--so I knew she had to have it on her shelf.  Today, walking around the beautiful fields of Mount Vernon, appreciating the view on a gorgeous first day of fall, as our seven (seven!) collective kids ran around us, she and I talked about this book and how great an introduction it is to such an important figure.

We'll be back to Mount Vernon to add to the small but solid understanding Lorelei and Ben (and, soon enough, Kiefer!) have about one very important man.