The Prince Of Fenway Park (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Originally I thought this book was for baseball fans in 5th and 6th grade - and it is - but there are so many fantasy elements that the reader needs to be comfortable with that genre as well. Baggott imagines that the curse that kept the Red Sox from winning the World Series for 80+ years was an actual curse, with mystical creatures effected by the curse, living below Fenway Stadium. Oscar's father is one of the cursed creatures, so it falls on his 12-year-old shoulders to help break the curse. Quite a bit of baseball history is included, with special attention to the role race has played in the game, as Oscar is biracial. Straight-up sports fans will struggle with this title, it will only work for those who like fantasy too. The audio version, which I listened to, was pretty solid with a decent narrator. The Prince Of Fenway Park is a book filled with suspense and action. I think that this book is a "good read" because of the interesting story and because it is about my favorite sport, baseball. I really enjoyed this book because I love to hear about the great baseball players that played for the Red Sox like Babe Ruth. I also enjoyed this book because the Yankees are my favorite team and I like to see the Red Sox being cursed for over 10 years. I was very happy with the interesting plot that went along with this book. This book is about a huge Boston Red Sox fan that tries to break the curse the Red Sox endure once they trade Babe Ruth. The fan's name is Oscar, who is just a little boy. The Red Sox have been under this curse for many years because during this time, they have not won a World Series. Oscar's dad has a mysterious family background. His dad has a family that lives under Fenway Park along with other people called “creatures”. These creatures are living under Fenway Park because the curse has not been broken to set them free. In order for Oscar to break the curse, he has to find the mysterious clues that enable him to set the Red Sox free. One of these clues was when Oscar’s aunt gave him the ability to break codes. Oscar could break codes meaning that he could understand unclear messages that were given to him as signs. “She rolled her eyes as if to say Nonsense! ‘Do you think I can help?’ She blinked. ‘Do you think I’m the one who can save us?’ She blinked. (Baggot, 84). Oscar then realized that he could break curses and messages. He figured out that whenever his aunt blinked, it meant yes. This is the special ability that helped Oscar break the Curse of the Boston Red Sox. I gave this book five stars because the plot was clear, it had suspense, it was action packed, and it told a great story about the Red Sox's curse. I also gave this book five stars because since baseball is my favorite sport, this book relates to me because it has a baseball plot. Overall, this book was just right for me because of my interests in baseball. If I had to change one thing about this book, it would be to change the intro because Oscar's mother is a big part of his life. In the book, she sends Oscar to his dad for a year because she needs to go to Baltimore. In the beginning, Oscar is always thinking about his mother but towards the end, his mother isn't mentioned as much. I think that if Oscar's mother were mentioned more often, the reader would be reminded that Oscar's mother still plays an important role in the book. However, I do think that this book deserves five stars because of it's plot, suspense, action, and because readers can relate to baseball. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys baseball and also to anyone that enjoys suspenseful books.
What do You think about The Prince Of Fenway Park (2009)?
Great! The curse, family, racism, forgiveness, love and the Red Socks!
—mariamelie1997
Loved this book. I am not even a Red Sox fan but I loved this book.
—Mariel
