Plot-There has always been a controversy between who created the game of baseball. Most people say it was Abner Doubleday. Joe Stoshack, also known as Stosh, wants to travel back in time to find out the truth. The only problem is, is that there is no baseball card of Abner Doubleday. Stosh sent out letters to try to find one of him. It turned out that there was a picture of him. He told his mom that he was going to travel back in time. Stosh's mom said that he could only go if she went with. Of course, like any mom, she tried to make the adventure educational. When they traveled back in time, they ended up in 1863... In the middle of the Civil War. Gun shots were being fired at them. Stosh picked up his mom and ran. They found 3 soldiers and a drummer boy. There names were Willie, Rufus, Little John, and Joshua. Rufus was shot and killed. The soldiers told them that Abner Doubleday was a General in the Civil War. Later on, when Willie, Rufus, and Little John tried to take them to General Doubleday, Little John was shot and almost killed until Joe's mom stepped in and saved his life. Once they got to General Doubleday, they asked for an autograph on the baseball... Did Abner Doubleday really create the game of baseball? What will they do with an autographed Abner Doubleday baseball? Will they make it back to present time before getting killed?Characters-Joe Stoshack; Nicknamed Stosh, courageous, curious, loves baseball.(Joe is the Dynamic character because he finds out about Abner Doubleday and doesnt thinks of him of him the same.)Abner Douleday; confused, old fashioned, Genreal in the Civil War, gets angry easilyJoes Mom; Educational, caring, smart, nurse in present time, helps people.Willie; Soldier in the Civil War.Joshua; Soldier in the Civil War.Little John; Young drummer boy in the Civil War, was hurt badly.Rufus; Soldier in the Civil War, dead.Key Issues-The main Idea of this book is to show what times were like and how people acted and had in 1863.Other Information-I gave this book 3 stars because it wasn't really about baseball. It just talked about what they did during there adventure and what they ran into. The end of this book was well thought out. I recommend this book to people who like wars or baseball. Compared to other books in this Series or by this author, I did not like this book. I wasn't interested in it as much as I was with other Dan Gutman's books.
I like this book because this book takes place back in the 1800's and modern day today. The main characters are a boy and his mom. Him and his mom venture out to save Abraham's life and get an autograph from the person who maybe created baseball. When they finally get to the 1800's they are in a middle of a war between the redcoats and the militia of the American colonies. When they get there they realize that the guy that maybe created baseball, he didn't know what was baseball and they were in terrible trouble. Back home he has a common enemy from his arch-enemy against the other baseball team. When they get back he went up against the away team and they won! After he did that his mom decided not to go to work and she was sitting in the kitchen after he got a ride from his coach coming back. His mom wanted to save Abraham's life by getting a tazer and shocking the criminal who killed Lincoln and then they went back in time but it was to late. He shot Lincoln but he wasn't dead yet. All in all, this book is good because it creates suspense in some parts of the story.
What do You think about Abner & Me (2007)?
STOSH is back, and this time, he is time-traveling with his MOM!With a photograph of General Abner Doubleday firmly in hand, Stosh and his mom travel back in time and find themselves at the Battle of Gettysburg (pivotal battle of the Civil War). If you are teaching a unit on the civil war, you might want to read the chapter about the army hospital to the kids. It is eye-opening.Not as much baseball in this book as Civil War history, but that is OK.It was educational, fun, and totally Gutman.Did Abner Doubleday invent the game of baseball? You will have to read the book to find out!
—John
I liked this book a lot. This book was awesome, yet a bit unreal. I say this was unreal because they travel through time using photos and baseball cards. Joe, a young boy who loves baseball, has a special power that allows him to travel back to a past historical era. Joe and his mom, the prime characters, use a photo of Abner Doubleday to travel back to the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War to find out if he really invented the game of baseball. They end up in the middle of the war with their lives in danger. The main characters along with the readers learn many aspects of the Civil War and other historical events happening during the same time period. Baseball is Joe's favorite sport. It is also my favorite sport too, so I put myself in Joe's shoes as I read the novel. Because the author does a fabulous job describing the plot throughout the story, I got a good understanding of the Civil War and it made learning history become fun. The author describes the characters so well, that he brings them to life. Besides learning about history in an interesting way, the book shows how the main characters changed their relationship throughout the story. The author has other books like this one where Joe travels back to a historical period relating to baseball. I enjoy this whole series because the stories are interesting and I learn a lot. This was a fabulous book to read and I recommend it to everyone of all ages.
—Big Nasty
Abner and Me by Dan Gutman is about a 14 year old boy named Joe Stoshack who plays little league baseball. Joe is not like most 14 year olds and has the power to travel back in time using baseball cards. Legend says that a man named Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball, one of America's most popular sports today. Joe wants to travel back in time to the late 1800's to meet Abner Doubleday and ask him if he really invented the game of baseball, but it is not as easy as it sounds. Doubleday was a general for the North in the civil war, and there weren't any baseball cards back in those days. Read the book to find out who really invented the game of baseball. I give it 4/5 stars. This book is a historical fiction.
—Marco Moy
