Gutman, Dan. Satch and Me.

GUTMAN, Dan. Satch and me. (A Baseball Card Adventure.) HarperCollins. 192p. illus, bibliog. c2006.0-06-059491-8. $15.99. (Lib. bdg: 0-06059492-6. $16.89.) J*

In this seventh adventure featuring Stosh, a 13-year-old with the ability to travel back in time, he and his Little League baseball coach, Flip, try to find out who threw the fastest pitch ever. Legend has it that the great Satchel Paige was the fastest, but there are no baseball cards of Negro League players (there are some pointed comments on the cruelty and unfairness of Jim Crow in this novel)--and Stosh has always needed a player's baseball card in order to time travel. Luckily, Stosh finds an old photo postcard that does the trick, and he and Flip, armed with a radar gun, find themselves in Spartanburg, South Caroline, back in 1942. They get a ride with Satchel himself and watch him play in a baseball circus as well as pitch to Josh Gibson in a thrilling Negro League World Series game. Stosh also gets a chance to bring about an important change in his beloved coach's life.

In an afterword, Gutman, the author of many popular books for young readers, explains what's fact and what's fiction in his tale, pointing out that much of the dialog in the book was actually spoken or written by Satchel Paige. The reader will get a good sense of this wry, articulate, and immensely talented player, and b/w photos and other illustrations are a nice addition. Baseball fans will enjoy this lively new entry in a deservedly popular series. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT