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Zusatztext Like his first foray into middle grade sports fiction! The Contract (S. & S.! 2014)! Jeter presents a fictionalized story based on his own childhood. Each title in the series is based on the principles of Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation. Hit & Miss revolves around the maxim “Think Before You Act.” ...sharp baseball action keeps the plot moving. This series will have no trouble finding an appreciative audience. Informationen zum Autor Derek Jeter is a fourteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner who has played for one team-the storied New York Yankees-for all twenty seasons of his major league career. His grace and class on and off the field have made him an icon and role model far beyond the world of baseball. Paul Mantell is the author of more than 100 books for young readers, including books in the Hardy Boys and Matt Christopher series. Klappentext Young Derek Jeter's friendship with a new student puts him at odds with his friends and seems to be hurting his baseball swing, plus he gets in trouble for confronting a student who is bullying his sister, in violation of the contract with his parents.Hit & Miss Chapter One SEASON OF HOPE “Derek!” Derek threw down his pencil. He’d been doing his homework, even though it was only Saturday morning. Running to the top of the stairs, he looked down to see his father in the living room, holding a basketball. “Almost finished, Dad. Just one more math problem.” The rule in Derek’s house was, you had to finish your homework before you were allowed to go play. It was right there in his contract with his parents, the one he’d signed the year before. He hadn’t looked at it lately—his dad kept the original safe in his bedroom drawer—but Derek was pretty sure he remembered it all by heart. “Perfect,” his dad said. “I just finished one of my homework assignments for this weekend too.” He wasn’t kidding. Charles Jeter was in his final year of classes at Western Michigan University, studying for a master’s degree. His dream was to be a counselor for kids at risk, and Derek knew that meant a lot to his father, but being with his own kids was just as important to Derek’s dad. Derek could hardly wait. Basketball was fun, and he was proud of his progress over the winter. This was his chance to show his dad just how much better he’d gotten. But the truth was, Derek’s mind wasn’t on basketball, and it wasn’t on homework, either. Because today—this afternoon—was the start of the Little League baseball season. In fact, this afternoon was his first practice! To Derek, no other sport was as important as baseball. His life’s goal was to be the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. He only hoped he still remembered how to hit, after the offseason. For six months a year there wasn’t much baseball being played in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where long snowy winters were the rule. His dad had taken him to the batting cages twice in the past two weeks, but it was still so cold out that every time Derek hit the ball, his hands stung. “I thought you wanted to show me your new jump shot,” his dad called after him with a little laugh. “You’d better get that math problem figured out.” Derek didn’t take the time to answer. He went back to his desk, sat down, and concentrated, long enough to finish his homework and tie his sneakers. Then he raced downstairs to follow his dad, mom, and sister, Sharlee, out the door. They all piled into the family station wagon, and drove off to the university’s outdoor basketball courts for a thrill-packed game of H-O-R-S-E! Sharlee loved to be a part of their games, even if she was too little to put the ball into the basket without someone holding her up. Her usual jo...
