Abby McGanney Nolan (Children's Literature)
Joey Stoshack, the hero of Gutman’s five previous books about time traveling via baseball cards, here finds himself transported to the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg. He had merely intended to settle the question of whether Abner Doubleday had invented the game of baseball, but ends up in the most dangerous circumstances of the “Baseball Card Adventure” series. As Gutman writes in a prefatory Author’s Note, “This book contains more violent scenes than my previous books. It may not be suitable for younger readers.” For this outing, Joey’s mother comes along for the time-travel. Her nursing skills are much needed for the amputations and other battlefield operations, but she is turned aside by doctors who have not yet heard of sterilization. For fans of the series, this installment has less baseball than they have grown accustomed to. During a break from battle, Joey comes across an early form of the game, and the different rules throw him off balance. By the end of his trip, he concludes that Doubleday did not invent baseball and that he does not want to do any more time-traveling. Unfortunately for Joey, his mother does, and persuades him to try--with her--to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Of course, they do not succeed, but it is a suspenseful story nonetheless. 2005, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
Joe Stoshack time travels to Civil War Gettysburg to learn whether General Abner Doubleday actually created the game of baseball. Though this myth is toppled, sports plays only a small role in a story that otherwise focuses on the Civil War. A later episode, in which Joe and his mom attempt to prevent Lincoln's assassination, seems tacked-on and unnecessary. Reading list. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2005, HarperCollins, 165pp, 15.99, 16.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 5: Marginal, seriously flawed, but with some redeeming quality.

Nancy Nadig (The Kutztown University Book Review, Fall 2005)
Thirteen-year-old Stosh is a huge baseball fan. So when his friend Flip Valentini, sponsor of Shosh’s baseball team, mentions that he’d like to meet Abner Doubleday and ask him if he really did invent baseball, Stosh can’t get the idea out of his head. That’s because Stosh has the ability to travel through time, with the aid of baseball cards. This time, Stosh gets more than he bargained for. His mom insists on coming along (with a picnic lunch, no less), and the two of them land in the middle of a Civil war battle. Stosh gets a first hand look at the Civil war, which should perk up his history grade, and Mom attempts to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In between dodging bullets, Stosh learns the truth about Abner Doubleday. Another excellent entry in Gutman’s Baseball Card Adventure series. These terrific books combine sports, history and adventure. This book is a bit “heavier” than earlier entries, with somewhat gory descriptions of battlefield surgery, but it is still a quick, easy read. The series is popular with sports fans, baseball fans, and is one of my first suggestions for the reluctant guy reader. Each book teaches history, and usually injects a disguised moral as well, along with good descriptions of baseball games. Like the Magic Tree House books, these books retain a following beyond their Grade Level. Category: . 2005, HarperCollins, $16.89. Ages 10 to 14.

Jewell Fine (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 18, No. 1))
In this story, thirteen-year-old Joe Stoshack travels back in time to meet Abner Doubleday. Joe wants to ask Mr. Doubleday if he invented baseball. When Joe goes back in time, he finds himself in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Readers will want to follow Joe’s adventures and how he travels through time. This is another of Dan Gutman’s baseball card stories that readers of all ages enjoy. Fiction. Grades 3 and up. 2005, HarperCollins, 166p., $16.89. Ages 8 up.

Susan Levine (VOYA, April 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 1))
In this sixth Baseball Card Adventure, Joey Stoshack (Stosh) is having a hard time with opponent Bobby Fuller during a baseball game. By holding onto Stosh's belt, Fuller prevents him from scoring the winning run. Fuller also heard that Stosh can travel through time, a feat that Stosh accomplishes through the energy he receives from baseball cards and photographs. Team manager and sponsor, Flip, says that he would like to meet Abner Doubleday and find out whether he really invented baseball. Stosh is certain that his mother will balk about his desire to time travel again, but she surprisingly approves-on the grounds that she can come along. Off they go, finding themselves in the midst of the Battle of Gettysburg with their lives in danger. They are assisted by some young Union soldiers, and Stosh's nurse mother also helps the soldiers. The two meet General Abner Doubleday and learn that he did not invent baseball, but Stosh gets to see and play a 1863 version of the game. Once back in the present, Stosh's mother now wants to time travel-to save Abraham Lincoln-and Stosh needs to face Fuller in another game. The fun, adventure, and mixing of fact and fiction of the series are all well presented here. The vivid description of the horrors of the battlefield and the nearby hospital (particularly the amputations) adds a more serious aspect. But the enthusiasm and immaturity of Stosh's parents are a hoot. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, HarperCollins, 176p., $15.99 and PLB $16.89. Ages 11 to 15.