Perfect Game (Fred Bowen Sports Story Series)

this was a gift. the person it was intended for hasn't read it yet.

As a Special Olympics coach and unified partner (and a parent to a special needs daughter), I can't say enough good things about this book! It's a very real experience that brought tears to my eyes as I read it with my son (who is also a unified partner). We have so many athletes on our team who remind me of all the characters in the book. Highly, highly recommend this book for everyone!

great book i love it probably the best book I have ever read and maybe the best book i will ever read.worth every cent so good. Fred Bowen is a great author. i would highly recommend this book for people that love pitching.well any way great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great read for middle to high schoolers! Bought it for my classroom for those interested in baseball!

excellent book ... good story line. Personal story which i enjoy. Story line follows a friend of mine so it is fun to read.

Isaac is a great pitcher, but his father thinks he can be even better. "Practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect," is his mantra. In order to make the Thunderbolts team, he thinks he needs to pitch a perfect game, and is visibly dismayed when he doesn't. His coach asks if he knows anything about basketball, and asks if he will come and help with a team he coaches. This turns out to be a Special Olympics team. Isaac isn't thrilled about working with "retards", but the coach's daughter, Maya, quickly discourages from using this derogatory term and shows him the dedication to the game that the players exhibit. Isaac and Maya play on the team and help the others to make plays. One of the boys, Kevin, has been reluctant to work with the team, although he is quite a good shot. He warms to Isaac, and the two work on getting Kevin ready to play with the others. On the baseball front, Isaac's dad is still pressuring him to pitch perfect games, but Isaac is learning from both his baseball and basketball experiences that helping the team to win is really what is important.As with all of Fred Bowen's books, this had lots of details about games and tables of statistics that I don't quite understand, but that my readers love. Interwoven with this is the more serious topic of Isaac's unrealistic drive and his slow acceptance of the players on the Special Olympics team. This portrayal is almost painfully realistic-- as often as teachers and parents tell children not to use the term "retard", they still do. Seeing Isaac use this term out of ignorance and then learn why it is hurtful is more helpful than all the lectures adults can deliver. Bowen also writes strong female characters, and includes helpful information at the end of the book both about historical perfect games, Fragile X syndrome, and the Special Olympics.

Purchased this book for my son on a whim while looking for a book about baseball at a local bookstore. He really like the book. I loved the book! Isaac is a perfectionist that wants to pitch a perfect game, and is down on himself and the rest of the team when he doesn't. Spoiler alert, he never pitches a perfect game! Instead his coach requests his help with a Special Olympics Unified Sports Basketball team, which teaches Isaac that playing the game is more important than being perfect.As a parent of a perfectionist, and a child with special needs, I highly recommend this book to any sports fan.

I read this to my son (who is 9) and while he wasn't able to understand the technical baseball talk, I think he still thoroughly enjoyed the story.Parents, teachers, elders can all impart their wisdom onto children, but learning/hearing a lesson with their own eyes is way more powerful.Learning about The Special Olympics at a young age is wonderful.