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Brothers at bat: the true story of an amazing all-brother baseball team

Summary:  Here’s a story that seems almost impossible to believe, but yet it is a true story about an American family.  The Acerra family had 16 children.  Twelve were boys, just enough to field a baseball team!  This was the 1930s, and times were tough, but they stuck together as a family.   They had one passion: baseball!  It brought them a lot of joy and a lot of fun! And they were really good players!  In 1938, the brothers ranged in age from seven to thirty-two.  The oldest nine brothers formed a semi-pro team!  They played around on the East Coast and the always drew a crowd!   In the 1940s six of the brothers went to war, but they all came back and played in a baseball league another six years.  They played their last game in 1952.

 

What I liked about it: It’s a positive story about a family working together.  Salerno’s illustrations have a retro feel from the period from the 40s and 50s that match the time period perfectly.   Author and Illustrator add historical detail on the last page.

 

Who would like it:  The picture book format would suggest a younger audience:  K-3rd grade, but anyone would enjoy this all-American story.  Highly recommended.