Free Baseball

Free Baseball

by Sue Corbett

About the book:

Felix knows a lot of baseball players, but not the one he wants to know most: his father. His dad, a baseball star in Cuba, risked everything to send Felix to America. His mom won’t reveal anything else. When a team with a few Cuban players comes to town, Felix sneaks into the locker room to talk to them. That’s when the players mistake him for their new batboy. Determined to uncover the truth about his mysterious father, Felix plays along. Just for a few days, he thinks- long enough to find out about his dad.  But does he really want to know?

About the guide:

This guide includes discussion questions and projects appropriate for children’s book clubs, literature circles, and classroom discussions.

Comprehension Check:

1. Why doesn’t Felix live with his father?
2. How does Felix become a batboy?
3. Who is Vic? How does he help?
4. What does a batboy do?
5. In the end, what does Felix learn about his father and himself?

Discussion guide:

1. How does Felix get tickets to the Egret’s opening game? Why does he end up with a babysitter? Would you still want to go with a sitter? Why or why not?
2. How does Felix think his life would be different if he could be with his father? Do you think he’s right about this? Why or why not?
3. Describe what happens during the Egret’s game? Do you blame the babysitter or her friends? Why? What would you have done in the same situation?
4. Why does Felix think he may die at one point? How dangerous a move was this? What do you think his mother will say if she finds out? What does it remind him of?
5. Describe how many Cubans get to America. Why are they willing to risk their lives for this 90 mile journey across the sea? Would you? What is the policy of America? Do they allow immigrants to come in? Why or why not?
6. Felix complains about his baseball team, The Tigers. He says they are “really about fun first, baseball second.” (p.58) Is this a good way for kids’ teams to be? Why is Felix so serious about baseball?
7. Why does Felix wonder, “How long would I have to be away to get her [his mothers] attention… One day wouldn’t do it. How about one week?” (p. 66) Why is she so busy?
8. How does Felix end up the temporary batboy for The Miracles? What small lies does he have to tell for this to work? Do small lies add up to big ones as Felix is afraid of? To whom does he lie?
9. What prank do the players play on Felix? How does he turn it around on them? What does this tell you about him? Have you ever had this kind of prank done to you?
10. Who is Don? What is his job? Why is this so unusual? Don tells Felix, “The way I think is, you can’t miss something you’ve never had.” (p.104) Felix disagrees though. Why? What does he miss?
11. Who is Vic? How does he help Felix during his time there? What does he learn about Vic’s life? How did Vic figure out that Felix was not from West Lauderdale?
12. In the end, what does Felix learn about his father? What happens to the batboy position? Do you consider it a happy ending? Why or why not?

Projects:

Language Arts:

Write at least four letters from Felix and his father. Describe everything the other should know about each other.

Math:

Play baseball math at this website: (use with caution, content not guaranteed)

http://www.funbrain.com/math/

Art:

Create a memory box for Felix. Create and/or collect items that you think Felix would keep and find important. On the lid of the box explain why you included the items you did.

Music:

Listen to some contemporary Cuban music that Felix’s mother may be playing in the kitchen:

http://www.timba.com/music/songs.asp?x=13&y=11

(use with caution, all lyrics and content not guaranteed appropriate)

History:

In small groups research one of the following topics and give a short report about what you learned. Use visual aids.

Timeline of Cuba

Fidel Castro

Immigration from Cuba

Cuba and baseball

Cuban refugees

How to become a US Citizen

Wet foot, dry foot policy

Elian Gonzalez

What is daily life like in Cuba?

12 Again

Teacher’s Guide

12 Again by Sue Corbett

Comprehension Guide/ Quiz Questions

Knowledge:

1. After reading the first three chapters, identify the main characters and their relationships to each other.
2. What is Patrick’s major problem? What is Bernadette’s?

Comprehension:

1. Describe the events on the eve of Bernadette’s fortieth birthday.
2. Outline the steps Bernadette takes to fit in at Patrick’s school.

Application:

1. What would happen if you became twice your age? What about half your age? How would your daily life be different?
2. How would your family cope if a parent disappeared? How would your daily life at home be different? Would you be more like Kevin or Patrick?

Analysis:

1. Which part do you think would be hardest about Bernadette’s situation? Who do you think suffered the most? Why?
2. Investigate the steps to reporting a missing adult to authorities. Were you surprised by the results? How do you think it is different from a child’s disappearance?

Synthesis:

1. How would you handle this situation if it happened to you? What would you do like Bernadette? What would you do differently?
2. How do you think the relationships change because of what happened?

Evaluation:

1. Predict what Bernadette’s family says when she walks through the door? How do you think their lives will be different? How will they be the same?
2. Find your favorite scene in the book. Describe why you think this part is especially well written, and what it means to you.

Prediction Guide for 12 Again

Pre-reading:

1. Look closely at the cover art. How does the figure at the bottom change?
2. What kind of script is behind the title? Do you think it will play prominently in the storyline?
3. Read the Mark Twain quote before the title page. What do you suppose that means? How could it relate to this story?

Reading:

1. What kind of son is Patrick? Do you think he will stay this devoted throughout the book?
2. What is strange about Grandma? Do you think that will be important later on?
3. Will Bernadette go tell her family that she’s twelve again? Why not?
4. Will she be friends with Patrick in school? Why or why not?
5. Do you think Bernadette will be found out by the police? What mistakes could she make?
6. Will Bernadette ever be 40 again? What makes you think so?
7. Will Patrick figure out that Detta is his mother?
8. Will Bernadette discover her path back home? What do you think it could be? Have you found any clues? What are they?
9. Will Patrick be able to help gather the needed materials to get his mom back?
10. Will the potion work?

Multiple Intelligence Projects

Verbal/ Linguistic

Set up an email account, and write to your friend about 12 Again. Discuss your predictions for the story, but be sure not to reveal too much to your friend should you happen to read ahead. It doesn’t matter if your predictions are right or wrong, after all, it is more fun to be completely surprised. So, there are no “right” answers only fun guesses to keep you reading.

Logical/ Mathematical:

Bernadette says that math makes a lot more sense to her now after keeping a budget, and balancing a checkbook. Create your own budget for your life. You can have 1,000 dollars a month to work with, but you must consider all your needs: housing (figure out the percent of rent you would owe your parents), food, clothing, entertainment, and other stuff. Don’t forget about things like sports dues, and new equipment either. Turn in your budget and a short paragraph discussing the results.

Visual/ Spatial

Design a poster for 12 Again. Be sure to make it colorful, exciting and tempting enough that others will want to read the story too (like a movie poster). Also, list the author’s name and other pertinent info. (publisher, copyright date) and a few words to describe it.

Body/ Kinesthetic

Ally tells Bernadette about a backbend, “It gets easier. You have to trust me. And yourself.”  Pick a physical activity that you’ve been wanting to do or improve upon. See if Ally is right in her advice. Trust yourself to do it right. In one of your emails to a friend, explain what you tried and how it worked.  How does that advice apply to things outside sports? Print out your answers.

OR

Act out the scene that happens just after the close of the book.

Musical/ Rhythmic

Find a current song that you think could bridge the generation gap between you and your parents’ musical taste. Share with them what you like about the song and why. Then, listen to a song (don’t cheat and use ear plugs;0) of their choosing. Report the results in a short journal.

Interpersonal

Bernadette meets a variety of people in her son’s school. She has to be able to read people’s intentions pretty fast, knowing who she should trust and who she should avoid.

Go to a neutral ground where you don’t know everybody (say, a mall) and write about what you think everybody around you is thinking. Try to intuit their feelings and motivations behind their actions. Is there anyone in the room you would choose to sit next to in a class? Why? Who, if anyone, would you avoid?

Intrapersonal

Pretend that you could take a swig from Grandma’s magic potion of curing regrets. Is there anything that you would have to regret? Do you ever wish you’d done anything differently? Write it down, but then destroy the paper so no one can read it.

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