In Golden Arm Lazarus Weathers, who lives with his mom and half-brother Antonio in a Seattle trailer park, stutters and struggles in school, but comes alive on the baseball field. When his ragtag summer team beats the rich kids across town, his pitching captures the attention of Mr. Thurman, the star player's father. Hoping to help his son's team win the state title, he recruits Laz to play for his son's high school team. With the trailer park shutting down and his high school baseball team's program axed, Laz jumps at the opportunity to move in with the Thurmans and get better coaching and capture the attention of major league scouts. Just as things finally seem to be going his way, Antonio gets involved with dangerous drug dealers and Laz must choose between helping his family and pursuing his dreams. This complex novel explores poverty and privilege, teamwork and self-reliance, as well as family loyalty and friendship. Readers don't have to be interested in baseball to enjoy this riveting underdog story.

Laz's high school is cutting their baseball team, but he's a star pitcher. He has the opportunity to go play for one of the best high school teams in the state, and if he takes it, he could have a shot at being drafted to the majors! After much debate, Laz decides to transfer schools and try out for the new team. Now, if only his little bother can stay out of trouble long enough for Laz to secure his future in baseball..

I did not enjoy the choppy writing style. The short, easy to digest chapters would likely appeal to many reluctant readers, though. I did like how the story touched on poverty in big cities and how it, and poverty-related issues, affect families, not just Laz's sports success--giving the book some welcome depth.

High school senior Lazarus Weathers is the central character in Carl Deuker’s Golden Arm (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2020). Laz lives in a rough trailer park and goes to a rough high school, but he is a great pitcher. When the team situation at his school changes, Laz’s golden arm gives him the chance to contend for a state title at an upper-class school and possibly be drafted by a major league team. Although surrounded by problematic situations, Laz is a noble kid who maintains his character, even when it would be easy for him not to.

Attention to detail is a hallmark of author Carl Deuker’s body of work, and Golden Arm is no exception. The book takes place in various areas of Seattle, and Deuker clearly knows his way around the city. This attention to detail in the setting also applies to the baseball. Deuker captures the drama in every pitch and on-field situation, and he knows the ins and outs of how high school baseball programs function. Although there is a situation toward the end where the timing strains believability, baseball fans will find the technical aspects of the story satisfying even as they are caught up in the book’s messages about holding on to one’s dreams and resisting the pressures that come from every social environment.

Any time Carl Dueker publishes a new book, it’s good news for those of us who find ourselves recommending titles to young readers because Deuker’s sports books are always of such high quality. Deuker’s years as a teacher in the trenches give him credibility and insights into how high schools work and how students think and act. His fast-paced short chapters, authentic high school situations, compassion for underdogs, and sophisticated knowledge of the game combine to make Golden Arm an excellent choice for young readers looking for books about sports. Right now when some of us are missing baseball, Golden Arm is exactly what some kids need, but this title will be around for a long time. Carl Deuker’s Gym Candy (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2007) is usually one of the most well-worn books on a school library’s shelves, and Golden Arm is every bit as evocative as Gym Candy and other Deuker titles.

Note: This review is now posted on Goodreads at the link below. It will also soon be on my blog in a "round-up" of recent YA titles. Thank you.

A high school pitcher with a great arm discovers that his impoverished high school is cutting much of its sports program. The father of a teammate from a summer league offers to take him into his home and enroll him in a more privileged school--of course, with ulterior motives. The young man must choose his loyalties when his brother's drug-dealing activities interfere with a life-changing baseball game. Deuker deals with tough social issues while also writing amazing play-by-play game descriptions. There are never enough good high school sports books!

Laz has one thing going for him … pitching baseball. He knows he stutters; he understands that he isn’t the smartest kid in class, but he also knows that when he gets in the zone, his pitch is unstoppable. He has no chance to go to college, but he may have a chance to get drafted by the major leagues. That is … if he can get noticed. That all changes when the trailer park he lives in is scheduled to be demolished. Through a series of unlikely events, Laz has the chance to play for a great team, but that means leaving his family behind. What sacrifices will Laz need to make to work toward his dream? Will his dream come true?

Golden Arm is a sports fiction novel that will appeal to many readers. Of course, Deuker spends some time talking about sports (and a little play-by-play), yet he also includes some inner-city drama that will appeal to readers of that genre as well. The story follows in an orderly fashion without a lot of literary devices, which will make this book appealing to struggling readers. I recommend this book to all my readers whether you normally read sports fiction or not.

Decker continues to put out great work appropriate for middle school up. WIAA state competition is in Yakima rather than Seattle, but overall a great story. I will purchase multiple copies for my library and expect to see this as a 2023 Evergreen nominee.

LOVED this book. Missing spring training this year, inspired me to read an author my students love. Carl Deuker's newest is the perfect remedy for quarantine. Laz weathers is growing up with a mom and his brother, trying to get by, living in a trailer park. He is a pitching phenom., but his school has just dismantled their baseball team, right as Laz was entering his senior year, the year scouts would be making their draft picks. Enter the Thurman family, who offer Laz room and board and the opportunity to play for their Laurelton HS, a championship team, although they have never clinched states. Are the Thrumans doing this to bring glory to themselves, or do they really want to help Laz? Dealing with grown-up life decisions, Laz also has to deal with his younger brother who may be getting mixed up in drugs. The baseball action was authentic, the character development was spot on- and the story was a page-turner. I hope there is a sequel. I want to know that Laz did well. Great book- cannot wait to share with my students

I absolutely can't wait to put a copy of Golden Arm into the hands of my students. They will empathizes with Laz, they are him, they are living his life. His drive and focus will show them just how it is done and give them the perfect example for their own lives.
Golden Arm will make my top ten this year, I loved it.

A great book for baseball fans. The constant action and short chapters will entice reluctant readers.

Time and time again, I have seen Carl Deuker's stories inspire kids as readers. His keen sense of pacing, excellent sports writing, and realistic situations keep kids turning the pages and often times accomplishing more than they thought was possible. His newest book Golden Arm does not disappoint. Great characters and baseball action throughout are sure to keep kids going until it is gone...another home run book!

E ARC provided by Netgalley



Lazarus Weathers lives in the Jet City trailer park in Seattle with his mother and half brother, Antonio. He has a job at a nearby golf course, and manages to play ball on a couple of teams. When his school team is disbanded because a large percentage of the players get in trouble, he turns to his rec league coach for help. Laz is good, but he isn't going to get the attention of scouts playing for school teams like North Central. After his school's team disbands, he is allowed to go to another school to play, and is asked by the father of a Laurelhurst player to consider that school. At the same time, the trailer park is going to be torn down, and the reappearance of Antonio's father puts the family at four-- too large for the best choice for housing, which is 25 miles away. He moves in with the Laurelhurst family, who are nice to him, even if he feels awkward living in their basement. There's always food, they give him a computer to use, and the school is much better as well. Laz has struggled in school, partly due to his stutter, and he is able to get tutoring at Laurelhurst to bring his grades up. He's still concerned about Antonio's friends, because he hangs out with a known pill pusher. There is also a girl, Suja, at North Central whom Laz really likes, so he keeps returning to the neighborhood to see her and to work at the golf course until it closes. The Laurelhurst team does well, and Laz could possibly get a job on a pro team if he plays his cards right, which will enable him to have a place to live when he graduates from high school. When a crisis with Antonio causes him to miss a championship game and also taints his image, will he be able to make his baseball dreams come true?
Strengths: Deuker always writes such intricately deep sports stories, and this one is excellent. Laz's life in the trailer park, trying to make ends meet, is a compelling story without the sports, but his drive to make a career out of his talent will appeal to young readers even more. There's never any certainty about what might happen next-- I was definitely kept on the edge of my seat reading this one. We see just enough of Antonio's life to be worried about him, and to know how much Laz cares about him, so that it's not a surprise that he goes to his aid. The culture shock of going to Laurelhurst is handled well, and the details of being scouted are realistic but not overly hopeful. The light romance, as well as a side story with a local reporter, adds even more depth. It's very evident that Deuker puts a lot of care and thought into his writing!
Weaknesses: This is a bit more of a high school book, given the length. There's also just a tiny bit that gave me pause for middle school; when Antonio's father moves in, Laz is worried that he and his mother will "have sex" and it will be awkward in the small trailer. There are no details, and even the most naive 6th grader will have heard that phrase, but it is there.
What I really think: It's usually my football and basketball fans that want grittier inner city stories, but I love Deuker's work so much that I will buy this for my die hard 8th grade baseball readers who have read everything else I have. The cover is fantastic.