September Giveaway: Mended Wood Literary Society
Hi everyone,
I’m really excited about this month’s giveaway! You might have noticed that we like some sports banter around the Story Warren…well, some of us do, anyway. What usually happens is somebody makes some kind of sports metaphor with a point he is making, and half of us nod along in agreement, understanding perfectly, and the other half’s eyes glaze over because it’s happening AGAIN.
Or something like that.
Anyway, this month’s giveaway is all about sports! If you have a person in your home who is sports-enthused, you need to get in on this one. Most of the selections are middle-grade titles, but I also worked in one picture book for broad appeal. Check out the full list below, and scroll down to find the instructions for entry.
"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona." - George Will
This Month’s Books
The Crossover, Kwame Alexander. If you’re working with a reluctant reader who loves basketball, you should start here. Alexander’s poetry lays out a story of the protagonist, twelve-year-old Joshua, and his twin brother, J.B. Joshua (nicknamed “Filthy” on the court) also loves rap, so he tells his story in rhyme and free verse. There are the classic middle-school troubles, with teachers and girls and bus rides, but the format holds your attention and doesn’t let go.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Bette Bao Lord. The main character here is an immigrant from China. She is eight years old, and the year is 1947, the Year of the Boar by the Chinese calendar. Our protagonist, Shirley Temple Wong, identifies with Jackie Robinson, the famed hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who broke the color barrier. As Jackie, the grandson of a slave, leads the Dodgers through a winning season, Shirley finds hope and boldness in his example as she navigates her new life in Brooklyn. This book is actually about the author’s own childhood!
Pay Attention, Carter Jones, Gary D. Schmidt. . The sport in question in this title is the very English cricket. Each chapter begins with a mention of one of the rules of the game. Eventually our main character, Carter, begins to learn the game alongside his friends, taught by his family’s very English butler. As he navigates the rules and skills necessary to master cricket, Carter also navigates the difficult circumstances in his family. The game gives him an outlet and a space for shared joy and grief.
The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics, Daniel James Brown. During the Great Depression, the University of Washington fielded a team of rowers made up of ordinary boys from the student population. Some of these boys later admitted that they rowed because it meant the school supplied meals for them. Under the guidance of their coach and mentor, Al Ulbrickson Sr., the boys stunned the wealthier teams from elite East Coast schools and eventually went on to compete in Hitler’s Olympics in Berlin in 1936. This is the young readers’ edition of the story.
Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team, Audrey Vernick. This picture book tells the story of the Acerra family of New Jersey. They raised sixteen children, twelve of them boys. The brothers formed a semipro baseball team together in the 1930s. They were honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
One winner will receive not only these fantastic books but ALSO our minivan-proof, sturdy, beautifully made-in-the-USA tote with our logo on it! Two runners-up will receive one of our fantastic bags as their prize.
There are a few ways to enter this giveaway:
On Instagram: Follow @story_warren, like the giveaway post, and share the giveaway (be sure to tag us!). You’re welcome to tag a friend in the comments for extra entries, too!
On Facebook: Follow Story Warren, like the giveaway post, and share the giveaway (be sure to tag us!). You’re welcome to tag a friend there in the comments for additional entries.
No social media? Leave a comment on this post, naming one of the titles here that you’d love to own or give away!
Giveaway not associated or affiliated with Meta; ages 18+; US addresses only, please. Giveaway ends at midnight Eastern Time on Monday, September 21, 2026; winners will be contacted by Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
(above links are affiliate links)
When she’s not behind her laptop, Kelly enjoys live music, baseball, reading great books, and traveling with her husband, David. Kelly hails from beautiful snowy New England, but after two decades in North Carolina, she feels right at home.
She invites you to subscribe to her newsletter, On the Common, or to follow her on Instagram.
- An Interview with Jonathan Rogers - October 5, 2026
- Story Warren Weekend, Vol. 14, Issue 37 - October 3, 2026
- Congratulations: Our First Ally in Imagination - September 30, 2026
Brothers at Bat is one I have never heard of yet – and haven\’t even heard of the story!! My boys would LOVE this read!
The Boys in the Boat is an incredible story of American perseverance even during one of its most difficult time periods in history.
In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson is one I read in school and would love to read with my kids!
All of these titles would be wonderful for my son – we\\\\\\\’re homeschoolers and just ditched our previous LA curriculum and are doing a more eclectic/build your own. These literature titles would be fantastic :). If I don\\\\\\\’t win, I\\\\\\\’m adding em to our library list! Thank you.
What a great roundup of books!
Pay Attention Carter Jones sounds like a great way to learn more about cricket (we know very little about the game).
Also, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson would be a very uplifting read.
I may be missing it – I\’m following both instagram & FB but can\’t find the post?
I would really love to own Boys in the Boat. Such an inspiring story and so well written!
I would love to give Brothers at Bat to my nieces whose dad loves baseball!
Brothers at Bat! We\’re originally from New Jersey and love stories that keep the connection to the \”old country\” intact for our kiddos. We\’d love this set of titles as we are HUGE baseball fans over here and my 10 year old is pitching for the first time in his fall league this season.
Brothers at Bat would be our first read, because my baseball-loving eldest has said he wants 12 sons so he can coach them into an amazing baseball team. Six of them would be named Mason, all with different spellings, and six Jackson, again, with all different spellings. Love the sports theme. I can only imagine how rowdy those conversations can get (and a bit surprised there were no soccer books in the mix…). Perhaps Mr Sam will need to write one. ⚽️
Pay Attention Carter Jones is one my kids have not read yet.
This is amazing give away. Some new stories as a some that are definately worth reading more then once. A very generous give away.
This is a great giveaway! My 10YO sports-loving boy would love all of these! Pay Attention, Carter Jones would be a hit- as is everything Gary Schmidt writes!
Love the boys in the boat movie book is probably great to!!
I haven\’t heard of any of these but they sound great!!
Brothers at Bat especially catches my eye!
Would love to read Boys in the Boat as we have viewed the movie. Books version is usually better than movie ; )
Brothers at Bat sounds like a good read for listeners and readers!
Brothers at Bat would be a great addition to my private home lending library where I serve mostly local homeschool families. I’ve never heard of this true story! I myself am a retired homeschool mom and enjoy sharing the large book collection I acquired over 25 years of home-educating, plus my own reading, learning, and book- collecting pursuits.
Brothers at Bat would be awesome. I have four sons!
The Boys in the Boat looks interesting and Pay Attention, Carter Jones is also very good!
Brothers at Bat sounds like a fantastic read!
The Brothers at bat looks great!
This looks awesome!
My boys are Gary Schmidt fans, and we don’t have this one yet!! Also would love to have Boys in the Boat – such a great story!
I suspect my 15 yr old might enjoy crossover. The idea of a rapping basketball player might capture his rather nerdy, but rebellious (in okay ways) mind
I would love to win The Boys in the Boat!
I\’d love to give The Crossover to my nephew who loves basketball and just recently started homeschooling. His dad realized he has read very few whole books. This would be a great one to whet his appetite.
Would love to read Boys on the Boat!
The Boys in the Boat sounds like a great read! I enjoy stories that have heart-felt storyline. This one sounds perfect!
What a great list! I love the variety of sports & life circumstances these books cover. I\’m intrigued by Pay Attention, Carter Jones. I\’ve enjoyed many of Gary D. Schmidt\’s books and would love to read this one and share it with the young people in my life.
Would love to read Brothers at Bat to my kids!
I\’ve never read any of these, but The Boys in the Boat would probably be the one I\’d read first.
Boys in the Boat is one we are hoping to read as a family read aloud!