Dugout Hero

A new chapter book series from Major League Baseball's 2006 National League MVP, Ryan Howard!

The score was 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, and two strikes. The Mustangs were on a hot winning streak and every victory was important. Little Rhino's whole team was cheering for him. Even Dylan was standing on the bench rooting for Little Rhino, the home run hitter. It all came down to the next pitch. When the pitcher threw the ball, Little Rhino swung as hard as his arms could handle, felt a pop in his ankle, and dropped to the ground.

That was yesterday. Today, Little Rhino is propped up on the couch with a sprained ankle. The doctor said Little Rhino is not going to be able to play baseball for the next two weeks. Rhino's friends keep dropping by to bring him his homework but Rhino just wants to be back on the field. Can he find a way to help his team without playing?

Ryan Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a three-time All-Star who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2005 and followed that up by winning the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2006. He is extremely active in the community. Together with his wife, Krystle, they co-founded the Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation which is dedicated to improve the lives of children by promoting academic and athletic development.

Krystle Howard is a former elementary school teacher with a passion for education and childhood literacy. She graduated West Chester University with a degree in elementary education and a minor in literacy. She was instrumental in developing and implementing Ryan’s Reading Challenge,” a program that resulted in more than 1 million minutes of reading by the children involved. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation.