Ernest L. Thayer’s Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888
Author: Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Illustrator: Christopher Bing
Publisher: Handprint Books
Publication Year: 2000
Brief Summary: Accompanied by beautiful illustrations resembling old-time newspaper clippings, Thayer’s ballad tells the story of Casey, a 19th-century baseball star, and his last at-bat during a game on June 3, 1888.
Awards, Honors and Prizes:
- Randolph Caldecott Medal, 2001 Honor Book United States
- Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, 13th Edition, 2002 ; National Council of Teachers of English
- Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2001 ; Bank Street College of Education
- Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2000 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
- Children’s Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson
- Kirkus Book Review Stars, December 1, 2000
- Notable Children’s Books, 2001 ; ALSC American Library Association
- Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, November 2000 ; Cahners
- School Library Journal Book Review Stars, January 2001 ; Cahners
Ideas for using this book in classroom or library and/or brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core, etc.:
- Introduce poetry/ballads. What makes a poem a ballad?
- How does the illustrator make this fictional story seem real?
- Read editor’s notes on how this book was made.
- Write about a memorable sports game that you have watched or attended.
Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc.
Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library
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