The Baseball Bat

This book is a combination of a compelling fiction story and a self-help book for anger and anxiety. In 1968, 10-year-old Tom Mochina struggles to make friends, fit in with his classmates and control his far-too-frequent angry outbursts. He dreams wishfully of becoming a star baseball player, being a top student in his class and attracting the cutest girls in town. He lives in suburban Michigan with his immigrant single mother, who works hard to provide for Tom, so he often spends afternoons playing catch by himself and batting rocks into the nearby woods. One day, he takes a break from his diligent baseball practice to explore the woods behind his house. He follow a trail down to the lake and meets a friendly neighbor, who he comes to know as Gramps. Tom and Gramps talk about school, baseball and love but Gramps helps Tom to understand his anger and anxiety in a way no one else has. Gramps gains Tom's trust as the two spend more time together. Through vividly real troubles, Tom grows to rely on Gramps advice about how to overcome his fears, control his anger and become the boy he really wants to be.