Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger (Children's Literature)
Charlie Nebras is growing up in a small town in Iowa in the early 1950s. Devastated by the death of his father in the Korean War, Charlie is suspicious and resentful of his mother’s controlling and prejudiced boyfriend Vern. He loves baseball but does not make the Wildcat Team. When he most needs a friend, Luther Peale walks into his life. Luther is a former Negro League player who agrees to coach Charlie and his friends on the Stumptown team. But although Charlie and his friends are able to see Luther’s value instead of his skin color, some of the team members’ parents are not so open-minded. And neither is Vern. Luther shares a secret with Charlie and Charlie shares it with his friend Will. But suddenly the story of why Luther is on the run becomes public knowledge and Charlie learns a powerful lesson about friendship. Was he a friend to Luther when he told Will? Was Will a friend when he told others? And how can Charlie make it right when Vern takes steps to separate Charlie and Luther permanently? A compelling story about friendship and loyalty that will be particularly appealing to preteen boys. 2007 (orig. 2005), Peachtree Publishers, $7.95. Ages 9 to 12.

Kelly Grebinoski (Children's Literature)
Would you risk your life for your best friend? Charlie Nebraska has experienced a bit more in life than your average eleven-year-old boy. It is 1952 and he lives in Holden, Iowa. Charlie lost his dad in the Korean War and cannot stand his mother’s boyfriend, Vern. An avid baseball player, Charlie dreams of playing on the Wildcats team. When that does not materialize, Charlie finds luck right on the field--Luther Peale, an African-American injured professional baseball player, hiding a secret. Because of the time period and it being a small town, Luther is not entirely accepted or trusted in Holden. He is, however, accepted by Charlie Nebraska. The story of Luther and Charlie is remarkable. It will make you laugh, cry, and want to tell everybody you know about this small-town kid and his great friend. This story examines themes such as heroism, friendship, relationships, and racism. You do not have to like baseball to appreciate this story; it is as timeless and powerful as S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. 2005, Peachtree Publishers, $14.95. Ages 10 up.

Brenda Ethridge Ferguson (Library Media Connection, January 2006)
Eleven-year-old Charlie meets 24-year-old Luther on the same day Charlie is failing tryouts for the local Little League team. Charlie has been distracted and intimidated by Brad, a third baseman and swaggering bully. Luther gives Charlie pitching tips and they become friends. Even though Luther's presence in Holden, Iowa, creates suspicion and distrust in a town where there are no other black people, Luther helps to fill the hole in Charlie's heart left from his father's death in Korea. Luther reveals to Charlie and his mother, Mrs. Nebraska, that he is a former pitcher with a Negro Baseball League but now has a hurt pitching arm. While Charlie deals with Brad, Luther deals with Mrs. Nebraska's racist boyfriend and other forms of prejudice. Eventually, Luther has to confront his real nemesis, Ruckus, who has followed him from Tennessee. Luther had accidentally killed Ruckus' brother with a fast pitch during an exhibition game. Although Luther had been cleared of any responsibility in the death, Ruckus has hunted him down. Tension builds as Luther and Charlie are pursued by Ruckus. Certainly, there is a good measure of danger and villainy, and hateful prejudice rears its ugly head, but the relationships in this novel give the story its warm texture. This is an action-packed story where good triumphs over evil and love finally trumps fear and prejudice. Recommended. 2005, Peachtree Publishers, 224pp., $14.95 hc. Ages 9 to 14.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
Charlie desperately wants to play baseball on his town's team. Flustered by a bully, he fails his try-outs but visiting Negro League player Luther Peale offers to coach him. However, 1950s small town Iowa isn't ready for Luther, and racial tensions soon erupt, fueled by a mystery surrounding Luther's past. A bit predictable, this well-paced novel is nevertheless engaging. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2005, Peachtree, 227pp, 14.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Shawn Glancy (The Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2007)
In a small town in Iowa, circa 1952, eleven-year old Charlie Nebraska – whose father died in the Korean War – learns the meaning of racism; heroism; and friendship – when Charlie meets and befriends former Negro League baseball star Luther Peale. When Charlie asks Luther to coach his Little League team, hostility from the community comes to a head – erupting into violence that neither could have foreseen. Stumptown Kid is a dramatic story that illustrates the power of prejudice; suspicion; and racism. Ultimately, though, it is a heroic tale of one young boy’s willingness to look beyond a man’s past – and the color of his skin – to form a bond that is stronger than either could have imagined. I recommend that this book be read as part of a history class in grades 5-8. This work provides some good insights into the Negro baseball leagues, and the struggles African-American players had to gain acceptance into America’s pastime. Category: Children’s Fiction.. 2005, Peachtree Publishers, $14.95. Ages 10 to 14.