Home Base

Susan Perks, formerly a teacher and librarian, is a travel agent in
Thompson, Manitoba.

Ten-year-old Dan’s grandfather is very ill, and Dan and his family go
to the farm for the summer to help out. At first Dan is unhappy about
going to the farm, since he will be missing out on various baseball
activities.

Dan’s hobby is collecting baseball cards. When his grandfather tells
him that his father had collected cards, Dan sets out to find them with
the help of a friend, and the help (?) of his pesky six-year-old sister.

Dan’s father had died of cancer three years before. Dan learns that
his grandfather also has cancer, and Dan is thus forced to face the
issues of death and dying. He is also forced to deal with change, since
his grandmother is in the process of selling the farm.

On the day of his grandfather’s funeral, Dan finds his father’s
collection of baseball cards. He realizes that the money from the sale
of these cards can go toward the farm, and a rental arrangement is made
whereby his grandmother can still own the farm and continue to live on
it.

Peers has written an excellent book. She skillfully interweaves themes
of family relationships, death and dying, and change into the story. Dan
eventually realizes that life still goes on. Things will not be the
same, but one has to adjust to the changes and make the most of things.

The author lives in Peterborough, Ontario, where she helps coach a mite
fastball team. She has also written Brontosaurus Brunch. Young baseball
fans and baseball-card collectors will enjoy this book. It includes a
foreword by Kelly Gruber of the Toronto Blue Jays. I recommend it,
especially to those in grades 3 to 6.