The Baseball Player and the Walrus

The Baseball Player and the Walrus
Author: Ben Loory
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2015-02-24
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0698401816

A sweet and poignant story of friendship, from acclaimed short-story writer Ben Loory The baseball player has it all—money, fame, and success. But something is missing. He doesn’t know what it is until he goes to the zoo and sees a walrus. What a splendid creature! Surely it could bring joy to his life. With happiness just a walrus away, the baseball player sets out to create the perfect enclosure for his new friend. He’s even willing to give up his job to be with the walrus. But without a job, he won’t be able to afford his new friend’s care and keeping. And without the walrus, he won’t be able to smile. Luckily, there’s a compromise to be had and a walrus just waiting to be reunited with his resourceful friend.

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day
Author: Ben Loory
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2011-07-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101529288

“This guy can write!” —Ray Bradbury Loory's collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables is populated by people-and monsters and trees and jocular octopi-who are united by twin motivations: fear and desire. In his singular universe, televisions talk (and sometimes sing), animals live in small apartments where their nephews visit from the sea, and men and women and boys and girls fall down wells and fly through space and find love on Ferris wheels. In a voice full of fable, myth, and dream, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day draws us into a world of delightfully wicked recognitions, and introduces us to a writer of uncommon talent and imagination. Contains 40 stories, including “The Duck,” “The Man and the Moose,” and “Death and the Fruits of the Tree,” as heard on NPR’s This American Life, “The Book,” as heard on Selected Shorts, and “The TV,” as published in The New Yorker.

Where's Walrus?

Where's Walrus?
Author: Stephen Savage
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2011
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0439700493

In this wordless picture book, follow Walrus on a happy-go-lucky spree through the big city, as he tries on different hats to disguise himself from the chasing zookeeper.

Tales of Falling and Flying

Tales of Falling and Flying
Author: Ben Loory
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2017-09-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0143130102

“Mesmerizing and magical. . . . A stunning book.” —NPR.org “Short stories so imaginative — and yet so perplexingly familiar — they could have formed in a dream. . . . Taut, meticulously balanced and written in Loory’s direct, witty prose, his own stories take a page from Aesop: high-flying tales nonetheless boiled down to the essentials.” —The Los Angeles Times “Ben Loory’s stories are little gifts, strange and moving and wonderfully human. I devoured this book in one sitting.” —Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children A dazzling new collection of stories from the critically acclaimed author of Stories for Nighttime and Some for The Day Ben Loory returns with a second collection of timeless tales, inviting us to enter his worlds of whimsical fantasy, deep empathy, and playful humor, in the signature voice that drew readers to his highly praised first collection. In stories that eschew literary realism, Loory’s characters demonstrate richly imagined and surprising perspectives, whether they be dragons or swordsmen, star-crossed lovers or long-lost twins, restaurateurs dreaming of Paris or cephalopods fixated on space travel. In propulsive language that brilliantly showcases Loory’s vast imagination, Tales of Falling and Flying expands our understanding of how fiction can work and is sure to cement his reputation as one of the most innovative short-story writers working today.

Baby Orca

Baby Orca
Author: Mary Batten
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2016-02-23
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0448488396

"Baby orca is a very big baby--she weighs four hundred pounds and is almost eight feet long! She loves to splash and play. Follow baby orca as she learns how to swim, hunt, and even "talk" with her family!"--Provided by publisher.

Why Do Moving Objects Slow Down?

Why Do Moving Objects Slow Down?
Author: Jennifer Boothroyd
Publisher: Lerner Publications ™
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2017-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1541504224

A baseball player slides on the ground to tag a base. A toy car's wheels rub against the floor and slow the toy car down. Friction is at work all around you. But what exactly is friction? And how does it affect different objects? Read this book to find out! Learn all about matter, energy, and forces in the Exploring Physical Science series—part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!

If I Were a Jungle Animal

If I Were a Jungle Animal
Author: Amanda Ellery
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2012-09-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1442478209

Morton is bored playing baseball all the way in the outfield, where the ball never, ever comes. But if he were in the jungle instead, he could be a lion or a zebra or a hippopotamus! Yeah, if he were a jungle animal, then things would be exciting. But excitement can be distracting, especially if a ball might be coming right toward him! This eBook edition of Morton's daydream adventure includes audio.

Change Up

Change Up
Author: Buck Martinez
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2016-03-29
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1443440752

In the spirit of Moneyball, the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays offers cutting insights on baseball Buck Martinez has been in and around professional baseball for nearly fifty years as a player, manager and broadcaster. Currently the play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays, Martinez has witnessed enormous change in the game he loves, as it has morphed from a grassroots pastime to big business. Not all of the change has been for the better, and today’s fans struggle to connect to their on-the-field heroes as loyalty to club and player wavers and free agency constantly changes the face of every team’s roster. In Change Up, Martinez offers his unique insights into how Major League Baseball might reconnect with its fanbase, how the clubs might train and prepare their players for their time in “The Show,” and how players might approach the sport in a time of sagging fan interest. Martinez isn’t shy with his opinions, whether they be on pitch count, how to develop players through the minor-league system, and even if there should be a minor-league system at all. Always entertaining, ever insightful, Martinez shares brilliant insights and inside pitches about summer’s favourite game.

How to Draw

How to Draw
Author: Bruce Blitz
Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
Total Pages: 52
Release: 1991
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781560100997

Baseball Life Advice

Baseball Life Advice
Author: Stacey May Fowles
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2017-04-11
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0771038712

National Bestseller A Globe and Mail Best Book A National Post Best Book of the Year A passionate ode to baseball, its culture, and its community, which both celebrates and challenges the game – and reminds us why it really matters. For Stacey May Fowles, the game of baseball is one of "long pauses punctuated by tiny miracles." In this entertaining and thoughtful book, Fowles gives us a refreshingly candid and personal perspective on subjects ranging from bat flips to bandwagoners, from the romance of spring training to the politics of booing, from the necessity of taking a hard look at players' injuries and mental health issues to finding solace at the ballpark. Fowles confronts head-on the stereotype that female fans lack real knowledge about the game, and also calls out the "boys will be boys" attitude and its implications both on and off the field. She also shares her reverence for the no-hitter, her memories of going to the ballpark with her dad, and the challenges of falling in love with someone who didn't like baseball. Throughout the book, she offers exhilarating snapshots of the Toronto Blue Jays' 2015 and 2016 seasons, and gathers a selection of inspiring "baseball life advice" quotes from players and others that provide unexpected insight into how we could all live better lives. With remarkable verve, intelligence, and an unabashed enthusiasm, Fowles explores how we can use the lens of baseball to examine who we are. And in this passionate ode to the game, its culture, and its community, she reminds us that although baseball can break your heart, it will always find a way to make it whole again.