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Miracle Mud

Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball

  • Interest Level: Grade 2 - Grade 5
  • Reading Level: Grade 3

Lena Blackburne loved baseball. He watched it, he played it, he coached it. But he didn’t love the ways players broke in new baseballs. Tired of soggy, blackened, stinky baseballs, he found a better way. Thanks to a well-timed fishing trip and a top-secret mud recipe, Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud was born. For seventy-five years, baseball teams have used Lena’s magic mud to prepare baseballs before every game. Read the story of how Lena’s mud went from a riverbank to the major leagues and all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-4677-6932-7
 $24.99
978-1-7284-6670-5
 $34.99
978-1-7284-6669-9
 $6.99
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Interest Level Grade 2 - Grade 5
Reading Level Grade 3
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Copyright 2013
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Millbrook Press ™
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2014-08-01
Reading Counts! Level 2.6
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF054010, JNF007100, JNF061010
Dewey 796.357092
Graphics Full-color illustrations
Dimensions 9.75 x 9.75
Lexile 480
ATOS Reading Level 3.7
Accelerated Reader® Quiz 156781
Accelerated Reader® Points 0.5
Features Author/Illustrator note, Awards, Original artwork, Reviewed, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Awards

  • Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee, Nominated, 2017
  • Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices, Winner, 2014
  • Missouri State Teacher's Association Reading Circle Selection, Winner, 2014
  • Maryland Blue Crab Award, Winner, 2014
  • Nutmeg Award, Winner, 2014
  • Notable Award Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, Winner, 2014
  • Illinois Monarch Award Nominee, Nominated, 2014
  • Maine Chickadee Award Nominee, Nominated, 2014
  • Black Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee, Nominated, 2013
  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, Winner, 2013
  • Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, Winner, 2013

Reviews

Library Media Connection

Reviewed on 1 August 2013

“This story is sure to hook young baseball fans with its action-packed illustrations and unique subject matter….The book is an excellent way to engage young sports fans and could easily be used as a bridge for interdisciplinary activities.” —Library Media Connection

Booklist

Reviewed on 1 March 2013

“The colorful, exaggerated paintings artfully (and comically) capture the full allure of ballpark ambiance by including plenty of behind-the-scenes activity. The information provided in the minimal text is bolstered by a solid two-page author’s note.” —Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed on 1 March 2013

“Kelly provides information about an unusual aspect of the game in a sprightly, entertaining story with a great ‘aha’ moment. Dominguez’s bright, expressive double-page spreads follow the events closely and make them live.” —Kirkus Reviews

School Library Journal

Reviewed on 1 March 2013

“Dominguez’s illustrations, which are painterly in style, look as if pastels were used to draw the dramatic baseball poses in a variety of perspectives….This accessible story will be enjoyable to a larger audience than just baseball fans.” —School Library Journal