THE LONGEST HOME RUN
by Roch Carrier & translated by Sheila Fischman & illustrated by Sheldon Cohen
An award-winning Canadian team (The Hockey Sweater, 1984, has sold 84,000 copies) comes up with another offbeat sports story, set in a Quebec village in 1947. Narrator ``Roch'' and the other boys are playing ball in a field of daisies when a strange girl grabs the bat and smashes the ball out of sight—to come down through fierce old Sergeant Bouton's window. Escaping with the boys, ``Adeline'' explains that she's a magician and invites them to see her perform that night with her dad. The show's a huge success—though after Adeline's father makes her disappear, the boys never get to talk with her again. In a wry last scene, Roch goes to get his ball back from the old man, is greeted as the Yankees' future hero, tells the truth about who hit the ball- -and is treated to a furious outburst: ``A girl! That's the end of the world!'' There's no real plot, but the incidents are lively and amusing, while the near-surreal illustrations glow with energetic perspectives and intriguing comical details. Also available in French and Spanish. (Picture book/Young reader. 6- 10)