A Negro League Scrapbook [Hardcover]

Imagine that you are an outstanding baseball player but banned from the major leagues. Imagine that you are breaking records but the world ignores your achievements. Imagine having a dream but no chance to make that dream come true. This is what life was like for African American baseball players before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier. Meet Josh Gibson, called the black Babe Ruth, who hit seventy-five home runs in 1931; James Cool Papa Bell, the fastest man in baseball; legendary Satchel Paige, who once struck out twenty-four batters in a single game; and, of course, Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball, and one of the greatest players of all time. Featuring lively verse, fascinating facts, and archival photographs, this is a celebration of the Negro Leagues and the great players who went unrecognized in their time. Weatherford has collected a wealth of information and memorabilia from the earliest days through the Leagues' demise in 1963. . . . One doesn't need to be a baseball fan to be fascinated. —Kirkus Reviews

An engaging overview, richly augmented by archival photographs. . . . This title succeeds as a thoughtful introduction, capturing both the significance of the Negro Leagues and the accomplishments of its great players. —School Library Journal

Public and school libraries will want to add this to their collections, as material on the Negro Leagues is fairly scarce for this age group. —Library Media ConnectionCarole Boston Weatherfordis an avid baseball fan and an award-winning poet. She has written more than a dozen books for children. She lives in High Point, North Carolina, with her husband, Ronald; their two children; and a lazy beagle.CN