Hutch Hutchinson is more at home on a baseball diamond than at his own house. Standing between second and third base, at shortstop, is paradise for him. And when his team is invited to play in a tournament for the state championship, Hutch knows his season is getting longer. But he does not foresee the hardships ahead of him, such as an unforgiving teammate and an unsupporting father. These hardships may take the fighting spirit right out of him.
The Big Field is an interesting book, one that will appeal to baseball fans and the general public alike. Mike Lupica enhances the settings of this novel to make its scenes more spectacular. The Big Field carries a distinct tone of the betrayal that Hutch felt from of his father. I liked Hutch, as a 14-year-old boy who loves baseball more than anything else. He also gave you the sense that he just wanted to do the right thing, but could never do it. I like the author's writing style, but I wasn't sure it was appropriate to use the third person. The book followed Hutch and nobody else, so why not use the first person?Mike Lupica definitely showed what it was like for a boy to achieve his lifelong dream in considerable fashion. The vocabulary was age appropriate, and the author made you empathetic to Hutch. You could definitely tell when he was frustrated, and you understood his emotions. This novel is strong and passionate about Hutch's feelings, which guided the plot. As I said earlier, The Big Field was excellent as well as interesting. The ending was spectacular, one that was very heart-warming. I would definitely recommend this book, because it had an interesting and intense plot.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, Maryland USA
