Asterick Red Sox 2086
Mark LaFlamme
Reviewed by Ali Jenkins
Asterisk Red Sox 2086 by Mark LaFlamme has produced an easy to read
book, which will appeal to younger children. His book should be a heavy
favorite among those that like baseball or science fiction. His book is
a great combination of those two. A reader doesn’t need to know the
aspects of either of these to enjoy it. LaFlamme’s book appears to be
heavily inspired by The Jetsons cartoon with the flying cars as
transportation as well as other technology. He also seems to be heavily
inspired by the losing ways of The Boston Red Sox in the World Series.
This book was obviously started before The Boston Red Sox actually won
the World Series.
Asterisk explores the possibilities of the world of baseball as well as
the world itself in the year 2086. It is explored through technology
and scientific developments that don’t seem so far fetched that it is
merely fantasy. The world seems to be owned by mostly Google such as
their wireless network known as GoogleZon as well as the Google Sound,
the former public announcement system at Fenway Park.
This story explores the great bond that can happen between grandfather
and grandson which revolves around baseball. While at a baseball game,
the grandfather tells a great story of how an athlete, Abe Noble, of
The Boston Red Sox, was a hero and a disgrace to the ballgame. Asterisk
is much more than just this story, but this is the main focus. This is
how a an item resembling an asterisk along with another element could
possibly change the game of baseball, maybe permanently, among other
things. There has always been talk of some sort of scandal in baseball,
and this book, seeks a different version of cheating. Asterisk Red Sox
2086 also explores a form of cheating in baseball and why someone might
do it.
As a former Children’s Librarian I would definitely recommend this book
to those that enjoy baseball, even those that are reluctant readers.