HEART OF A CHAMPION by Carl Deuker

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Deuker, Carl. 2007. HEART OF A CHAMPION. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316067261

PLOT SUMMARY/CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel tells the struggles of Seth Barnam who lost his father at the mere age of seven.  Dealing with the death of his father has not been an easy task.  Seth meets Jimmy Winter at the park where they become fast friends.  Seth has never really been interested in sports until now.  Jimmy is a natural at baseball but his father expects him to only perform at the high level putting an enormous amount of pressure on him.  Both boys join the local Little League team however Seth feels his talents are not comparable to Jimmy’s.  Jimmy’s father coaches both boys during their practices.  The confidence Seth gains while participating in baseball spills over into his school work leading to his grades improving.  While excelling in baseball Jimmy’s life at home is beginning to crumble.  His father begins drinking too much leading to the divorce of his parents.  This leads to more of life’s challenges for both of the boys.

Deuker writes this novel in first person through the eyes of Seth.  This novel takes place during the boy’s school year and during baseball season.  This is a story of self vs. self and person vs. person.  Both boys are dealing with situations that only affect themselves while also dealing with the competition between the two of them.  Both of these characters have to find strength on and off of the field.

Readers will be able to relate to the struggles of these two characters from struggling to find yourself, death, drinking, divorce, and bad decisions.  This story of life’s struggles will make readers going through similar situations not feel alone or maybe they know someone going through a similar situation.  Reader’s can either help themselves by reading this book or possibly help a friend.  This book also portrays the strengths and struggles of friendships which many teens and young adults experience.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

*SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 1993

*KIRKUS REVIEWS, 1993

*HORN BOOK: “The sensitive, moving portrait of adolescence is combined with dramatic sports action in a book which adolescent boys, especially those graduates of Matt Christopher, will enough.”

*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Baseball becomes a metaphor for life in Deuker’s thought-provoking testimonial to friendship and filial love…The sensitive examination of the importance of a father –or lack of one—in a boy’s life is where Deuker really hits a homerun.”
*BOOKLIST: “Readers who enjoyed ON THE DEVIL’S COURT will be lining up to read this one…”

Exemplary or Favorite Lines

*“ Sometime in there winning the games became as important to me as it was to him.”

“…when Jimmy left Sunday, we were hardly talking.”