Guide to Juvenile Baseball Books: F

Farrell, Mame. Bradley and the Billboard. New York: Farrar, 1998. 13-year-old Brad learns that you can succeed in baseball, become a male model, and be attractive to girls – and still be yourself!

An odd book, one that tries to make the world more tolerant by pointing out that males in feminine jobs aren't sissies. For good measure, Brad's girlfriend can hit the long ball.

Feinstein, John. Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series. New York: Knopf, 2009. 14-year-old sportswriters delve into the past of a mystery call-up on a Cinderella pennant-winning roster.

Part of a series where our youthful heroes Stevie and Susan Carol go from major sports championship to major sports championship doing some amateur detecting as they go. The concept is engaging enough and the themes (here, temperance and remorse) earnest but not too fraught. But the book is weighed down by copious over-precise exposition.

Findley, Ron J. Stumptown Kid. See Gorman.

Foley, Louise Munro. Somebody Stole Second. Illustrated by John Heinly. New York: Delacorte, 1972. Big practice held up as team searches for cushion that serves as second base.

Fuller, Roger. "The Swell-Headed Soph." In Margulies (1948). Testy underclassman learns perseverance from his overweight roommate: if "Blimp" Jordan can make the varsity, certainly Ed Kilborn can.