Review of "The Contract" by Derek Jeter

 Review of

The Contract by Derek Jeter, ISBN 9781481423137

Four out of five stars

Semi-autobiographical

The main character is a boy named Derek Jeter and his dream is to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. It is stated on the back cover that the story is inspired by baseball star Derek Jeter’s childhood. Given the course of the tale, that seems reasonable. While the young Jeter is a very good baseball player, he finds it necessary to accept being placed in a position other than shortstop.

 That position is held by the son of his Little League coach, a boy that has many rough edges, some of which are an air of superiority and a propensity to criticize teammates, Young Jeter is forced to swallow a bit of pride in not responding to the slights.

 Success is schoolwork is also stressed throughout. Young Jeter’s desire to succeed extends into his schoolwork. After getting what was for him was a low score on a math test, he makes a concerted effort to get a score on the next test that bests the class brain.  A boy that openly states that sports a great waste.

 This is a book that can be described by the word wholesome. The main character has a desire to succeed that encompasses his love for sports, being an engaged part of his nuclear family and getting top scores on math tests. The title of the book is based on a contract drawn up by his parents that reflect these principles. There are no rough edges in this book, there is also no climactic big game at the end for the championship. Which reinforces the autobiographical features of the book.

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