-William Everett

This book represents an early example of sports fiction for juvenile readers. Following a team of high school boys, Double Play emphasizes how the ethics and fair play involved in baseball can be used to teach children how to behave in larger society. Everett’s earlier work, Changing Base, also uses baseball to demonstrate how young boys can develop discipline and a good work ethic through organized sports. This work stands out for its publication relatively soon after baseball’s popularization and indicates America’s growing obsession with leisure sports.