Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

We read the RICBA nominee Growing Up Pedro by Matt Tavares this week to coincide with the World Series. One illustration shows him taped to a pole by his teammates. The kids asked if it really happened. Here's the tape to prove it.

Most kids enjoyed the story; here are some reasons they gave:

• It was a story about like to never give up.
• I liked it because I love sports.
• It was funny when they tied him to the pole.
• He worked hard to accomplish his goals.
• It was a very sweet story.
• My favorite team is the Red Sox.
• I liked when they taped him to a pole.
• It was exciting and action-packed.
• I liked learning about his baseball career.
• It talked about my culture.
• Kid-friendly nonfiction that is full of facts.
• It shows that anyone can grow up to be anything.
• Pedro is awesome (I have a poster of him in my room).
• I like that they loved baseball so much.
• It is about a kid who will never give up.
• It was interesting to learn about his life.

The book ended with the 1999 American League championships, but Pedro's playing career continued for 10 more years. He was still on the Red Sox when they finally reversed the curse in 2004 and won their first World Series in 86 years. He then played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 2009.

Pedro was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, and the Red Sox retired his number.