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Authors: Matt Christopher
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with. It would make no difference
how late they were now.
“I think so,” he said. He looked at Mom and Dad. They smiled and nodded. It was all right with them.
“How about riding back with us?” suggested Mr. Finch.
David smiled. “Okay.”
They arrived at the house. Mrs. Finch asked David to sit down. He sat there, his cap in his hand, while Mrs. Finch stepped
out of the room. Mr. Finch talked to him about the game a bit, then Mrs. Finch returned. She was holding a paper sack in her
hand.
David stared at the sack. It was flat. It looked very familiar.
“Here, David,” she said. “I’m returning yourcoins to you. I’ve decided that a boy who gives up his wonderful coin collection to pay for a small statue is made of good,
honest stuff. I’d rather know that you’re that kind of boy than the greatest player in all Penwood.”
David stared at Mrs. Finch. And he had thought that she was going to give him another job!
“Thanks, Mrs. Finch,” he said, happily. “Thanks a lot!”
He started for the door.
“Don’t you want to check it?” asked Mrs. Finch. “See if I didn’t lose any of it while I had it?”
David pulled the folder out of the sack and opened it. His eyes bulged. Other than the empty slots for coins to be minted
the next year and the next, all the slots were filled! Mrs. Finch had gotten the missing coins herself and had brought the
folder up to date!
David swallowed. “Mrs. Finch, I — I think you’re great! Real great! And any time you wantBonesy and me to clean up your yard — or do anything — just let us know!”
Mrs. Finch’s hands were clasped tightly together in front of her. She smiled and blinked her eyes several times before she
spoke again.
“Tell your dad and mother,” she said, “that Mr. Finch and I would like to bowl with them sometime.”
David grinned. “I sure will!” he said.
He put the folder back into the sack and went out the door.
He ran down the walk, then paused a moment. There, in the same spot the statue had been before it was broken, was a brand-new
one. This was the first time he had seen it.
It was a statue of a boy sitting on a stone and holding out the same sign: the finches. The boy was smiling.
And he was wearing a baseball cap.
How many of these Matt Christopher sports classics have you read?
Baseball Pals
Little Lefty
The Basket Counts
Long Shot for Paul
Catch That Pass!
Long Stretch at First Base
Catcher with a Glass Arm
Look Who’s Playing First Base
Challenge at Second Base
Miracle at the Plate
The Counterfeit Tackle
No Arm in Left Field
The Diamond Champs
Red-Hot Hightops
Dirt Bike Racer
Run, Billy, Run
Dirt Bike Runaway
Shortstop from Tokyo
Face-Off
Soccer Halfback
Football Fugitive
The Submarine Pitch
The Fox Steals Home
Tackle Without a Team
The Great Quarterback Switch
Tight End
Hard Drive to Short
Too Hot to Handle
The Hockey Machine
Touchdown for Tommy
Ice Magic
Tough to Tackle
Johnny Long Legs
Wingman on Ice
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
The Year Mom Won the Pennant
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
Join the Matt Christopher Fan Club!
To become an official member of the Matt Christopher Fan Club,
send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (10
× 13, 3 oz. of postage) to:
Matt Christopher Fan Club
34 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Too Hot to Handle
Baseball runs in David Kroft’s family. His father was a good player in his day, his uncles play on professional teams, and
David’s older brother, Don, is the best shortstop in the history of Penwood High School. David loves baseball as much as the
rest of his family, but he isn’t quite as fast on his feet, and he feels he makes too many errors. When Don hurts his leg
in an accident and has to sit out the rest of the season, the pressure is on David to play better than ever. Will he be able
to live up to the Kroft name?
Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced,
how late they were now.
“I think so,” he said. He looked at Mom and Dad. They smiled and nodded. It was all right with them.
“How about riding back with us?” suggested Mr. Finch.
David smiled. “Okay.”
They arrived at the house. Mrs. Finch asked David to sit down. He sat there, his cap in his hand, while Mrs. Finch stepped
out of the room. Mr. Finch talked to him about the game a bit, then Mrs. Finch returned. She was holding a paper sack in her
hand.
David stared at the sack. It was flat. It looked very familiar.
“Here, David,” she said. “I’m returning yourcoins to you. I’ve decided that a boy who gives up his wonderful coin collection to pay for a small statue is made of good,
honest stuff. I’d rather know that you’re that kind of boy than the greatest player in all Penwood.”
David stared at Mrs. Finch. And he had thought that she was going to give him another job!
“Thanks, Mrs. Finch,” he said, happily. “Thanks a lot!”
He started for the door.
“Don’t you want to check it?” asked Mrs. Finch. “See if I didn’t lose any of it while I had it?”
David pulled the folder out of the sack and opened it. His eyes bulged. Other than the empty slots for coins to be minted
the next year and the next, all the slots were filled! Mrs. Finch had gotten the missing coins herself and had brought the
folder up to date!
David swallowed. “Mrs. Finch, I — I think you’re great! Real great! And any time you wantBonesy and me to clean up your yard — or do anything — just let us know!”
Mrs. Finch’s hands were clasped tightly together in front of her. She smiled and blinked her eyes several times before she
spoke again.
“Tell your dad and mother,” she said, “that Mr. Finch and I would like to bowl with them sometime.”
David grinned. “I sure will!” he said.
He put the folder back into the sack and went out the door.
He ran down the walk, then paused a moment. There, in the same spot the statue had been before it was broken, was a brand-new
one. This was the first time he had seen it.
It was a statue of a boy sitting on a stone and holding out the same sign: the finches. The boy was smiling.
And he was wearing a baseball cap.
How many of these Matt Christopher sports classics have you read?
Baseball Pals
Little Lefty
The Basket Counts
Long Shot for Paul
Catch That Pass!
Long Stretch at First Base
Catcher with a Glass Arm
Look Who’s Playing First Base
Challenge at Second Base
Miracle at the Plate
The Counterfeit Tackle
No Arm in Left Field
The Diamond Champs
Red-Hot Hightops
Dirt Bike Racer
Run, Billy, Run
Dirt Bike Runaway
Shortstop from Tokyo
Face-Off
Soccer Halfback
Football Fugitive
The Submarine Pitch
The Fox Steals Home
Tackle Without a Team
The Great Quarterback Switch
Tight End
Hard Drive to Short
Too Hot to Handle
The Hockey Machine
Touchdown for Tommy
Ice Magic
Tough to Tackle
Johnny Long Legs
Wingman on Ice
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
The Year Mom Won the Pennant
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
Join the Matt Christopher Fan Club!
To become an official member of the Matt Christopher Fan Club,
send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (10
× 13, 3 oz. of postage) to:
Matt Christopher Fan Club
34 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Too Hot to Handle
Baseball runs in David Kroft’s family. His father was a good player in his day, his uncles play on professional teams, and
David’s older brother, Don, is the best shortstop in the history of Penwood High School. David loves baseball as much as the
rest of his family, but he isn’t quite as fast on his feet, and he feels he makes too many errors. When Don hurts his leg
in an accident and has to sit out the rest of the season, the pressure is on David to play better than ever. Will he be able
to live up to the Kroft name?
Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced,
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