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    Lucky Enough
    Lucky Enough
    Lucky Enough
    Ebook95 pages1 hour

    Lucky Enough

    By Fred Bowen

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    A baseball star’s luck is tested in this action-packed story—perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green—from the author of The Kid Coach.

    Like many athletes, Trey is superstitious. How could he not be when he just made the Ravens travel baseball team thanks to his lucky charm, a piece of rare sea glass he found on his grandmother’s beach?

    This stroke of good fortune reinforces Trey’s superstitions, and his rituals only become more important to him. Despite some teasing from his teammates, he persists in never stepping on the foul line, obsessively tapping the corners of home plate when he’s at bat, and always choosing the same lucky bat. And his tactics are working; he’s doing quite well on the field and in the batter’s box.

    Then one day Trey can’t find his lucky sea glass. His performance begins to slip, and he’s convinced his future with the Ravens is doomed. Things don’t start to improve until Trey’s uncle reminds him of his grandmother’s favorite saying: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

    Can Trey take these words to heart and find his swing again . . . even without his lucky charm?

    This ebook features an afterword about famous real-life players with their own lucky charms and superstitions.

    Discussion Guide available

    “A former kids’ baseball coach and the writer of the Washington Post sports column for young readers, Bowen adds an entertaining note on baseball superstitions. . . . The straightforward story will appeal to young players as well as older ones intimidated by longer novels.” —Booklist
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPeachtree Publishers
    Release dateMar 30, 2021
    ISBN9781504066877
    Lucky Enough
    Author

    Fred Bowen

    Fred Bowen was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a seaside town north of Boston. Most of his family still lives there—he has four big brothers and two sisters. His dad loved sports. One of Bowen’s earliest memories is watching the 1957 World Series on TV with his dad and his brothers. Bowen’s dad was his Little League coach and his brothers were his teammates in backyard football and “driveway basketball.” When Bowen turned eighteen, he left behind his sports-happy childhood and headed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Bowen has always loved US and world history and he made history his major in college. Bowen also loves sports history because of all the great dramas and big personalities, which is why he weaves real sports history into all of his stories. After he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, he went to George Washington Law School in Washington, DC. Shortly after he graduated, he met Peggy Jackson, a journalist. They got married two years later and now have two grown children. Their son is a college baseball coach and their daughter works for a nonprofit in Chicago. When they were in elementary school, Bowen coached their baseball, basketball, and soccer teams—more than thirty teams in all. Bowen was a lawyer for many years and retired from practicing law so that he could write for kids full time. He gets to spend a lot more time writing and he gets more time to visit schools and talk with kids about his books. He also speaks at a lot more conferences and meets more cool teachers and librarians.

    Read more from Fred Bowen

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      Book preview

      Lucky Enough - Fred Bowen

      To the memory of my sister, Margaret Bowen Decamp (1944–2017).

      We were all lucky to know her.

      CONTENTS

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      The Real Story: Baseball Superstitions

      Acknowledgments

      Sources

      About the Author

      CHAPTER 1

      I cannot believe it! I can’t find it!

      I’m standing in the middle of my bedroom, all dressed and ready for the biggest day of my baseball career. Me—Trey Thompson—trying out for the Ravens, the thirteen-and-under travel team.

      I really want to make it this time.

      I didn’t make it last year, and all season I had to listen to my best friend Cole McLaughlin brag about how great it was to be on the Ravens. There I was, still stuck on the Lookouts, the same old recreational league team we’d been on since fifth grade.

      I’m wearing my best baseball pants and a red T-shirt, hoping the coaches will notice me. I got my hat, cleats, glove. I’m all ready to go except for one thing—the most important thing.

      I’ve got to find it.

      I go through the pockets in all my pants and toss them on the bed. Even though I’ve already looked there once, I search every inch of the top of my dresser. I lift up the pile of sports magazines and check in the Red Sox mug where I keep my collection of seashells, beach stones, and sea glass. I look behind the picture of my grandmother and me I have balanced against the dresser mirror.

      Nothing.

      I take a deep breath and try to think where I saw it last. I know I took it to school yesterday because I had a math test in Mrs. Ficca’s class. I remember taking it out of my jeans pocket after school and putting it down in its usual spot on the dresser.

      So where is it? I’ve got to find it. There’s no way I’ll make the Ravens without it.

      My heart is pounding and my hands are sweating. That’s not good. I’ve got to be cool, calm, and collected for the tryout.

      I pace the room, scanning the floor and looking in every corner. Still nothing.

      Maybe it fell under the dresser. I get down on my hands and knees and sweep my hand underneath. I feel something, but all I pull out is an old Jolly Rancher still in its wrapper, a couple of nickels, and a fistful of dust.

      Pressing my face against the bottom drawer, I reach my whole arm in as far as I can. My fingers grasp something smooth and hard and I pull it out.

      It’s covered in dust, but I can see the familiar dark blue, almost violet color.

      All right! My lucky sea glass.

      I touch the smooth blue edges with my thumb and feel myself calming down. Now I’m ready to go to Crocker Field and make the Ravens…with the help of my lucky charm.

      Today I’m going to need all the luck I can get.

      CHAPTER 2

      Thompson… Trey. Move over to shortstop. Coach DeLamielleure—everyone calls him Coach D—motions with his bat. I want to see how you do over there.

      I hustle over from second base and get into line with Cole and Malik Jones, the Ravens starting shortstop.

      Hey, Cole whispers. You’re moving up.

      You think so?

      I know so, Cole continues in a low voice. Coach D sees that you can play second, so now he wants to find out if you can handle shortstop. I’ll bet he’ll ask you to play third base next.

      I look around Crocker Field. The baseball diamond is filled with kids hoping to make the Ravens. Some are shagging fly balls. Others are running sprints. A few guys are lined up at the batting cage.

      Heads up! Coach D yells.

      I’d better stop daydreaming and concentrate on fielding grounders.

      The first ball skims across the cinfield grass. I scoop it up and throw to first base. A little low. The throw from shortstop is a lot longer than from second base.

      Take another! the coach calls.

      I range a few steps toward second base, field the ball cleanly, and throw to first, making sure my throw is higher and harder than usual. The first baseman catches it chest high. Right on the money.

      Good! Here comes another one.

      This time the ball skips to my right. I backhand it, plant my right foot in the infield dirt, and fire the ball as hard as I can to first base.

      Good play! Coach D shouts. Malik, show him how to set his feet.

      Malik pulls me out of the shortstop line. He’s big for thirteen and he seems a lot more confident than the rest of us—Cole says he’s the best player on the Ravens. I believe it.

      Malik starts right in. Listen, Trey. shortstop’s a lot harder than second base. You got to field the ball clean and get rid of it quick.

      He gets down in a fielder’s position. Try to field the ball coming in. Don’t let the ball play you. If you can, field it with your right foot slightly in front of your left foot. That way, you’re ready to step into your throw to first right away. Watch me.

      Malik moves to the front of the

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