Sometimes, you were looking for role models. And sometimes, you were being one yourself.

Derek is having the best summer yet! Fun on the lake with his cousins, baseball, and a visit from his best friend, Dave: what more could he ask for? It gets even better when Derek gets to go to a Yankees game and meets a bunch of kids who play ball near the stadium, and they're good. Awesome, actually, especially Jumbo and Tiny. Derek can't wait to introduce them to Dave, but Grandma says if he wants to go to another Yankees game, he'll have to earn some of the money for tickets himself. This means spending quality time with Grandpa mowing lawns and learning the meaning of hard work.

Derek brings Dave to meet Tiny and Jumbo, whom Derek admires. But when Jumbo tries to convince Derek to do something he's sure will get him in trouble, Derek has to rethink who his role models are.

Inspired by Derek Jeter's childhood, Curveball is the fifth book in Jeter Publishing's New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

This book is part of a book series called Jeter Publishing .

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 192 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by Simon & Schuster .

Paul Mantell is the author of more than 100 books for young readers, including books in the Hardy Boys and Matt Christopher series. Derek Jeter is a fourteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner who has played for one team-the storied New York Yankees-for all twenty seasons of his major league career. His grace and class on and off the field have made him an icon and role model far beyond the world of baseball.