I Threw My Brother Out: A Laughable Lineup of Sports Poems

Grades 2-5 - No one among current children's poetry practitioners is writing humorous verse quite like Ted Scheu. He captures kids' lives in rhyming verse-their joys and giggles, their disappointments and doubts-more honestly than anyone these days. In this sweetly hilarious collection of 58 sports poems, Scheu covers just about all the sports bases-with poems with tips for winning games (and losing), handling confusing coaches, sports dreams, and dislikes-often from the perspective of the not-so-super star kid. Poem titles include "Gold Medal Kid," "Daddy, It's Only a Game," "Ode to a Hockey Puck," "I Love to Lose," and "I'm Just a Lonely Goalie." The illustrations are also utterly unique and completely captivating-stunning black and white photos of kids, from the camera of Peter Lourie, children's author and photographer. Here's what X.J. Kennedy, celebrated poet for kids, said this about Scheu's collection, "Ted Scheu, one of our very best poets writing for kids, really knows what turns kids on. I THREW MY BROTHER OUT is a first-rate sheaf of engaging rhymes and romping rhythms, full of wisdom and fun. It should go over big, whether read out loud or on the page."