How does an elevenalmost- twelve-year-old deal with a jelly belly he never asked for, the neverending taunting by bullies, and the need to level the playing field for himself and his friends? Life's not fair as Willie sees it! What's a boy to do when he is not good enough to play on a tournament baseball team? How is a boy to befriend the school's worst bullies at the request of the school principal? It's the 1950s and Willie is jolted into the reality that even skin color can cause problems for a boy. Baseball at Beaver Creek Bottom teaches Willie and his buddies, The Beaver Creek Nine, how to deal with the hits and the strikeouts in life. This is the second book for Mary Ann Rose Hart. As in the first book, Mary Ann's Mountain, Beaver Creek Blues continues with the theme of problems faced by preteens. Having taught grades 3-6 in the public schools for 36 years, the author knows "tweens" well. She has a master's degree from Appalachian State University, emphasizing the emerging adolescent and reading skills instruction. The author served as a math lead teacher, writing math activities presented at regional and state math conferences. It was her fifth graders and her husband who inspired this writer to create Beaver Creek Blues. Mary Ann and her husband, David, both animal lovers, live in North Carolina with a cat named Gus, their latest adopted orphan. The author's blog and free downloads for guided reading activities and math activities for this book are available on her website, (maryannrosehart.com).