THE GREAT BASEBALL CARD HUNT
by Daniel A. Greenberg & illustrated by Bert Dodson
The Lotus Pines Youth Baseball League is all abuzz: the outgoing commissioner has announced a treasure hunt with three rare baseball cards as the hidden prize. Southside Sluggers Rachel, Zach, and Andy work steadily on solving his cryptic rhymed clues, meanwhile trying to improve their team's dismal record; with the help of Seth, a new would-be superstar outfielder, they manage both. More product than story, this mystery-cum-sports fiction, based on a scenario by Glenn Lewis and Gail Tuchman, combines predictable plot, bland characters, superfluous explanations (``Andy was the peacemaker...''), an afterword about collecting baseball cards, and a glib lesson about the value of teamwork; it is, of course, one of a series. Occasional b&w drawings feature young people with puzzled expressions. (Fiction. 9-11)