I can’t recall the title of the book and that’s my problem. It was a children’s novel that was about a summer vacation with a young child’s family. The details I recall is that the story centered around this young boy who was trying to make it to a baseball game in time during this vacation where free bats (or hats?) were given out at this game. He also carried around baseball cards in his back pocket. I know there are stops at hotels and things along the way. It’s from around 1987 to 1992. The cover of the book featured a hand drawn family where a boy was standing out in front of his family wearing a ball cap and tossing a baseball into the air with one hand. His family and their station wagon was featured slightly behind him in the background. If I can just get a title to this book, it would mean a lot.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
Was this a chapter book? Do you remember any other details?
Yes, it was a chapter book. It was a elementary school age book. It might have been 100 pages give or take. The cover description is very accurate. It actually was my older brother’s book in the late 80’s. I got it passed down to me a couple years later to read. He passed away just a couple years back at a young age and I kind of wanted to track down the book for nostalgia’s sake.
I remember the hotel scenes and something about a pool. I know that getting to go to this baseball game for “bat day” or “hat day” in time at the end of vacation was really important to the young school age boy who was the main character.
I have been thinking of this more. I feel like the title could be something with the words summer, vacation or family in it. Hope this helps. Really want to find this book.
Sounds a little like Henry Reed’s Journey by Keith Robertson…only that was written in the 60s. Still, it could have been a reissue.
If it’s not that, it might be worth checking out Alfred Slote’s books. He wrote a lot of baseball-themed fiction in the 80s.
I am so grateful people are still replying to this thread. I am desperate to find this book. It wasn’t the journey or any of slote’s books. Any other thoughts?
I read this book! Unfortunately, I do not remember the title. But I will keep thinking! That part about possibly not making it time to get the bat really resonated with me. If I remember correctly, it’s really centered around the family, rather than baseball.
Good luck! And I will keep thinking.
Hooples on the Highway?
I am not the OP. I’m the poster above. But YES I am confident that this is the book!
Thank you!