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10 smart young adult books perfect for grownups

These books may be targeted at young readers, but they won’t disappoint the adults who find them.

10. 'Pinstripe Pride: The Inside Story of the New York Yankees,' by Marty Appel

  • By Ross Atkin Contributor

Former Yankees public relations director Marty Appel tells the story of the franchise, dating back to before there was a Yankee Stadium. This middle-grade adaptation of his more voluminous ‘Pinstripe Empire” more compactly covers the waterfront, from the glory days of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to those of modern stars Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Here’s an excerpt from Pinstripe Pride:

“The Yankees won their third straight World Series in 1951, and on December 11, [Joe] DiMaggio announced that ‘I’ve played my last game of ball.’ The year 1951 would be the only year in which [Mickey] Mantle and DiMaggio were teammates.

“DiMaggio never left the public stage. He was adored by his generation of fans, and that meant the world to him. Over the remaining forty-eight years of his life, he attended forty-seven Old-Timers’ Days. He missed only one year when he was in the hospital. It was important that he hear the roar of the crowd. In 1969 he was voted the Greatest Living Player in a national fan vote, and he always liked to be introduced that way. It meant a lot to him.”

(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 276 pp.)

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Mark Sappenfield
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