Thumb on a Diamond

Leon (now known by his new nickname, Thumb) and his best friend Susan love their tiny, remote fishing village of New Auckland. Wedged between the sea and the mountains, it is beautiful, peaceful — and getting a little boring. So Thumb and Susan come up with an ingenious plan to form a baseball team, win the regional title, and qualify to be sent to the provincial championships in Vancouver, courtesy of the school board. Never mind that none of the village's nine school-aged children have ever played baseball before. Never mind that there are no other teams to compete with for the regional championship. Never mind that the village is not even wide enough for a baseball diamond. With a lot of ingenuity and a little grown-up help, including the advice of shipwrecked British children’s writer Mr. Entwhistle, the New Auckland Beavers go into training and start packing their bags. But what will happen when they get to Vancouver?

Ken Roberts’s witty portrait of the droll, gently subversive villagers of New Auckland makes this a welcome sequel to its acclaimed predecessor.