Six innings : a game in the life

Two teams, six innings, one game.

A lively cast of characters--baseball-loving boys between the ages of eleven to thirteen--are playing the biggest game of their lives. With acrobatic catches, clutch hits, dramatic whiffs, and costly errors, this game is full of action. But as the book unfolds, pitch by pitch, a deeper story emerges, with far more at stake: Sam and Mike, best friends, are trying to come to terms with Sam's newly diagnosed cancer. And this baseball diamond becomes the ultimate testing ground of Sam and Mike'sremarkable friendship as they strive to find a way to both come out winners.

This is for the championship.

This is for life.

Six Innings is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Pregame Sam Reiser's bed was pushed against a second-floor window that overlooked a stand of cherry trees. The trees on this June morning were filled with birds, chirping like lunatic alarm clocks. Sam's first thought: Shut-up, birds. I'm trying to sleep. Second thought: Big game today. The championship game. Earl Grubb's Pool Supplies vs. Northeast Gas & Electric. Jeez, Sam thought, couldn't they give better names to these Little League teams? Why didn't they have real names, like the Cubs or the Pirates? Three weeks short of thirteen, Sam had already played on teams called Adirondack Wood Floors, Huck Finn's Warehouse, and Dahlia's Dance Studio--with turquoise-trimmed jerseys, no less. That was about as uncool as you could get. But once the games started, Sam conceded, the names didn't matter. It would take more than a bad name to ruin a good thing like baseball. Sam wasn't playing in today's championship game, but he would be the announcer. That had become his thing this difficult season; he was the boy in the booth, the voice in the sky, and no one dared say "boo" to him. The digital clock read 6:37. Sam had to pee. That's why he awoke, he guessed, pressure on the bladder; that, or the lousy birds who wouldn't shut-up about the brand-new day. The sun comes up, like it does every day, and those featherheads act like it's the most amazing thing in the world. Chirp, chirp, chirp. Big wow. There was a buzzer rigged to Sam's headboard, one of his dad's proud contraptions, designed to make life a little easier. Just push the button and a bell sounded in three rooms of the house. Then his mother or father would come bounding into the room: "Are you all right? How can we help?!" And if Sam didn't look into their eyes--didn't really look--then it would be okay. Sam made a point not to look in anyone's eyes. Excerpted from Six Innings: A Game in the Life by James Preller All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.