Sluggers: Water, Water Everywhere

The Travelin' Nine have just beat the Chicago Nine and things are heating up more than ever as we've reached the fourth book in The Sluggers! Series, Water, Water Everywhere (Sluggers). The year is 1899 and the Travelin' Nine continue to barnstorm their way across the good ole' U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt. The book starts off strong as we learn about Ruby's mysterious disappearance and the team must come together to determine the future of the team. In this installment, the Travelin' Nine are set to take on the Minneapolis Millers, but as they prepare for battle, they realize the chancellor has stacked the odds against them. They'll now face a team of professional ballists, the Minneapolis Lakers. As the Lakers lay out the terms, Ruby, Graham, and Griffith learn they're not permitted in the dugout. After all, if they're separated from the adults, the chancellor has a better chance of getting the magic baseball and whatever else he wants. In Water, Water Everywhere, not only does the action heat up on the field, but it heats up off the field as Ruby, Graham, and Griffith roam the stadium, trying to avoid the chancellor's men. They spot their bald eagle, and have an encounter with the man from the trolley and the park. He says he's here to help them, but how do they know if they can trust him? The old man gives some sage advice, "One who is with you is not with you at all." As Graham makes a heartfelt birthday wish, he gets exactly what he asks for. But questions still remain: Was it real? Can it possibly be true? Or is it all just a dream? And if you don't think that's enough, we're left hanging as an intruder storms the Travelin' Nine's train at the end of the book. Will the chancellor's men finally get what they want, or does another adventure await? Water, Water Everywhere is a suspense-filled, non-stop adventure. This is by far, my favorite book in the series, yet. The first three books have set the story up so well, that Water, Water Everywhere is full of drama. You're so drawn to the characters by this book, that you can't wait to find out what's going to happen next, and just when you think you're about to find out the truth, you're pulled in again to another adventure. Superb writing weaves you from one mystery to the next and all I have to say is...Bring on Sluggers! 5!!!