With the baseball season getting closer to the playoffs and the World Series, a picture book describes George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who was arguably the greatest ever to have played the game. "Home Run", by Robert Burleigh, is a beautifully written and illustrated book full of poetic prose and wonderful pictures about a man who played the game unlike any other. This book is unique in the way that it is suited for any age child through its simple, yet eloquent text. Below this text on each page is a picture of the back of a baseball card filled with a vast amount of information about this incredibly talented baseball player.

On the page opposite the text and the card are some of the most extraordinary pictures I’ve ever seen in a picture book! The illustrator, Mike Wimmer, is equated to the great Norman Rockwell because of his unbelievable eye for depicting detail of this great American past time! For example, there is one picture of a close up of the fans in the seats that especially reminds you of a Norman Rockwell painting. The differently excited expressions on each of the observers, both young and old, could easily go on an old cover of "The Saturday Evening Post" magazine that Rockwell often illustrated. The pictures perfectly add to the wonderful text. When read out loud, one can almost hear the smack of the ball as it whizzes by, "…There. There it is. The feeling that is like no feeling at all! The ball cracks off the bat. It soars far up in the air as it passes first base. Going, going…"

I found myself absorbed in reading the cards as much as relishing the poetic imagery. The cards are perfect for older children, making this book great for any age. One wouldn’t have to spend time reading the cards to younger children. But, I bet that anyone 8 or older will be drawn to read each and every card to help understand what made Babe one of the most gifted athletes ever.

These cards aren’t just your typical bubble gum cards either (even though they are designed to look somewhat like them). Each card is filled with information that correlates with the text located just above it. And each card is wonderfully written as well. There is eloquent alliteration in many of the cards that describe the Babe. "The King of Clout", "The Prince of Pounders" and "The Sultan of Swat" are just a few of the many ways he was described, not only by this author, but by documented headlines and facts retrieved from newspapers. As you read about this amazing man, you begin to get a picture of how great he really was.

You also see how many times he struck out and was up to bat. In order for him to break records, he had to make many attempts, as well as mistakes along the way. It seemed that he was always up to bat to hit the home run, not settle for just a hit. He was focused. He had high goals. He didn’t let strike-outs unsettle him. He also took time out for his fans. He signed many of his baseballs before each game. There was one such time that he batted one thousand signed balls from the rooftop of a grandstand to over ten thousand waiting children!

This is one of those special picture books that is loaded with so much to read, learn about, ponder and look at, that you’ll want to read it again and again. But, I think one of the greatest traits of this book is summed up by the illustrator’s dedication: "For my son, Eli, to help him learn the spirit of can-do."

Are you looking for an entertaining, fast paced mystery series for your 9 to 12 year old? Bruce Coville’s, "The Ghost in the Third Row", is the first in a series of books about Nina and Chris and their adventures in trying to solve mysteries concerning ghosts.

In this story, eleven year old Nina has just met Chris during the auditions for a play in Syracuse, New York. When both she, and her new friend Chris, get parts in the play, weird things begin to happen. The play is based on an event that happened over fifty years earlier when the lead at the time was suddenly killed while acting on stage. When both girls begin seeing what they think is the ghost of this actress, they become sleuths and end up solving the mystery. However, the actual person involved in the goings on during the practices doesn’t like them snooping around and they become the target of some frightening events.

This book is easy to read and will quickly involve you in the storyline. The main characters are both endearing, funny and smart. Mr. Coville has also written the humorous book, "My Teacher is an Alien", that has become a very popular book for kids of this age. He’s also written a fantasy book that I’ve previously reviewed and is a favorite of mine, "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher".