Great Book to Kick Off Summer! “The Secret at Haney Field”

Youth Summer Reading

The smell of fresh-cut grass, hotdogs and roasted peanuts is the same in 2014

 as it was in the ball parks of the 1940s and the love of the game is felt in both eras in “The Secret at Haney Field.”R. M. Clark’s intriguing mystery which has captured the attention of April O’Day, Darren Plummer and owner of the stadium and the Harpoons crosses over between both eras in baseball history. Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, there were two leagues; one for whites and one for Negroes. Having been selected as a bat retriever for the Harpoons, April stumbles upon a ghostly sight, there seem to be ghost players involved in a game on the field after dark. She later discovers that the Harpoon’s owner, Walter Haney, can see them too and invites her friend Darren to see if he can also see them. While watching the shadow players on the field one night a shadow ball lands in the bleachers. When April picks up the ball, she is transported back into the 1940s and a bright, sunny day with two teams from the Negro League and tons of fans cheering them on. She later visits one of the shadow games from the dugout and meets one of the players, Oscar “Flash” Henderson, who holds the key to a deeper mystery involving Mister Haney.

As deeply moving as “Field of Dreams,” 

R. M. Clark has created a very memorable story that gives honor to those who played in the Negro league in that bygone age. “The Secret at Haney Field” captures your heart and a childlike way that recalls the simplicity of the game. The understanding of the game is portrayed in a twelve-year-old whose passion for it is beyond compare. As she and Darren peel back the different layers of the mystery, the reader is present in a very meaningful way. The intrigue, the game, the history and the righting of past wrongs are all felt on a deep level. Inspiring, intriguing and insightful; “The Secret at Haney Field” will place you in both eras of the game and deliver not only a wonderfully suspenseful mystery, but reveal a rich history as well.