Never Blame the Umpire

by Gene Fehler

Book Overview

Kate is having the best summer a sports-loving eleven-year-old could possibly have. Baseball. Tennis. And to top it off, Kate has just started a three-week class where shes discovering a new love;... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310721954
• ISBN13: 9780310721956
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Zonderkidz
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Hard Hitting & Intense

Kate, 11 is a very athletic girl who enjoys baseball and tennis. She is also quite adept at writing poetry. Her close-knit family goes to bat for her and she, in turn would step up to the plate for them. Her brother Ken, 12 plays on the same team Kate does. The story opens with Kate and Ken playing in the final inning of a neighborhood baseball game. At this crucial moment in the game, Kate realizes that their parents are absent. This is out of character for them as they have never missed any of Kate or Ken's games. Once Kate and Ken arrive home, their father's grim face tells them that something terrible has happened. When they ask about their mother, all their father will tell them is that she has gone to bed, even though it was only 8:30. His simple explanation is that she is not feeling well and says nothing more until the next morning. Their mother has terminal cancer. Once again, the family pitches in. Kate, Ken and their father rally round to do everything they can to make life as pleasant as they can. The children know their mother is dying and their sole goal is to make life as pleasant and comfortable as they can for her. They resume their normal routine which includes watching a movie and eating popcorn on Fridays. One Friday, Ken becomes overcome when a character in a comedy dies and from that point on refuses to sit with the family for Friday movies. Luckily, Kate has more support in a kind teacher who helps her hone her writing skills. Once he becomes aware of Kate's troubles, he, too steps up to the plate for her in a way that is very heartwarming. This is an excellent book about loss, grieving/bereavement and family support. Readers of all ages will get a lot out of this book and it is an ideal teaching tool and subject for reading groups, discussion groups and even bereavement groups. This very intense book might make you cry, but no doubt you will be glad that you read it. It is strong without being maudlin and it is hard-hitting and very realistic. I would highly recommend this book to everybody.

"Never Blame the Umpire"

This is a very moving book written for young people but it is a book that everybody could benefit from reading. Immediately ones heart goes out to Kate and, although not stated initially, one senses that Kate's mother is facing a serious medical challenge. By page 16 or 17, although not yet stated, one knows something serious is wrong with Kate's Mother. At that point, the book kind of grabs hold and does not let go. Very moving book. This is a book for all to read. It is especially valuable for young people confronted with one of life's tragedies, the likelihood of which probably never occurred to them. But, it is also of value to adults who understand better then the invincible young that we are all only one play away from being pulled out of the game of life. This is a book that can help those in need and those who will be in need --- For one thing is certain, all parents will depart and though it is most difficult and tragic for the very young, it is difficult for the older grown children as well. After all, we only get one of each.

A kid's story for all ages

Never Blame the Umpire is a book primarily about kids but it's for everyone, not just kids. Kate is an adolescent of middle school age who has a wide range of interests that included baseball, just as the title implies. She is also lucky to be part of a close-knit family, supportive, loving, and sharing. Everything is going so well for her. She and her brother Ken, a year older, play on the same baseball team. On the day the book begins, they are in the final inning of a game and losing by a run. Kate is focused on the game but also realizes that her mom and dad are conspicuously absent from the stands--they never miss a game. She realizes that she's not exactly the star of the team, not the worst player but not the best either. On this day Kate comes through with the game-winning hit. Things go downhill from there. When Kate and Ken get home following the game, their father greets them with a long face. The kids realize immediately that all is not well. "Where is Mom?" they ask. "She went to bed," they are told. At 8:30? "She's not feeling well," their father explains, and asks them not to disturb her. The next day the children are given the bad news: their mother has cancer and nothing can be done to save or extend her life. The family does all they can to make the most of the few months Kate's mother has left. Kate and Ken go to school, play ball, go on family picnics, and have outings with friends. Life is as normal as they can make it. The family continues their Friday evening ritual of popcorn and a DVD, but Ken excuses himself in the middle of a movie. Although a comedy, someone in the film dies and that is just a bit too close to home for Ken. He'd rather not risk another similar scene and declines to participate on succeeding Fridays. At school, Mr. Gallagher is teaching Kate and her classmates how to write poetry and free verse. He encourages them to write about things both real and imaginary. When he learns of the problems in Kate's life, he's very understanding and compassionate. Some of her writings provide an outlet for Kate's frustrations. School and schoolmates also provide needed support and diversion. When not involved in family time, they all struggle with the pending loss of their mother. Why is God allowing this to happen? Couldn't he do something? Isn't he all-powerful? Kate's mother is very philosophical and does her best to help her family accept and cope with her fate. Never Blame the Umpire addresses these problems directly without getting maudlin. It poignantly shows how a strong family can survive even the worst of situations. While this book is not a tearjerker, the reader is likely to get dewy-eyed. At least it had that effect on me, but I loved Never Blame the Umpire.

No Easy Answers but a Hope that Endures

This is a precious book. It's actually hard to believe a man wrote it, because it is so believably authentic from a teen girl's point of view. Cancer is a devastating diagnosis for anyone. For a teen, it rocks a world. And that is what Never Blame the Umpire is about. With raw, painful emotions, this book chronicles Kate's journey as she navigates the terrifying world of a parent with cancer. Her mother's faith shines as a bright beacon in the midst of the darkness and readers will watch a young woman of maturity emerge as she wrestles with issues no teen girl should have to wrestle with. While geared for teens--and highly recommended for teens---adults can even glean lessons of implicit trust and faith from a story that is real-to-life with no easy answers and offers a hope that can only come from the belief there is more than what we see.

grab your box of tissues

Grab your Kleenex's because this one is a tear jerker. I cried through most of it! lol It's such a thoughtful book. I was surprised because I really wasn't expecting it to be so heart-felt. It is extremely well written. It is mean for 9-12 year old's, but I think it could easily be read by all ages and would be a good read aloud book (if you can stop crying long enough to read it lol). That being said it is such a tough subject that not all kids will appreciate it. Never Blame the Umpire touches on the hard subject of death and cancer. It does it well and it really deals with the struggles that we go through with why is life so unfair, and where God fits in to the issues.