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40 pp.
| HarperCollins/B+B
| January, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-228784-7$17.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
R. Gregory Christie.
This well-told biography relates how Jackie Robinson stood up for what was right even before he was a baseball star, including a central incident when he refused to move to the back of an army post bus in 1944. It concludes as Robinson breaks baseball's "color line" in 1947. Dramatic, expressionistic gouache illustrations offer a visual narrative that extends the text of this American story. Timeline. Bib.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2018
(4)
4-6
Tangled History series.
This installment covers Jackie Robinson's role in the 1945 dissolution of Major League Baseball's color line. Burgan vividly captures the "guts" this took with anecdotal narratives (some may be apocryphal) of figures on both sides of the issue. Illustrated with archival photos throughout, the volume is good as a report resource or for casual reading. An epilogue offers a bigger-picture overview. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.
76 pp.
| Random
| August, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5247-1308-9$13.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-5247-1309-6$16.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5247-1310-2
(3)
1-3
Magic Tree House series.
Illustrated by
AG Ford.
Jack and Annie learn more than the basics of baseball from master player Jackie Robinson when they travel back to 1947 Brooklyn, where they work as batboys in Robinson's historic first Dodgers game. Sports history and the effects of racism are woven into this latest fast-paced and accessible installment in the popular series; black-and-white illustrations are included throughout.
119 pp.
| Candlewick
| September, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7624-7$15.99
(3)
4-6
Jackie Robinson became the first black Major League Baseball player in 1947, when manager Branch Rickey signed him to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the racism he had faced all of his life followed him throughout his career. Rappaport's treatment is spare, good for reluctant readers, and her telling is engaging. Source notes are solid; there are no photographs. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.
(4)
4-6
Robinson has rich material to plumb in her story of the friendship between her African American father, Jackie, and the Jewish, hero-worshiping eight-year-old who lived two doors away in 1948 Brooklyn. Unfortunately, her writing about the moments of high emotion attendant to such a relationship is interspersed with awkward speeches about discrimination, prejudice, perseverance, and the like. A strong premise, hampered by earnestness.
(4)
K-3
Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes series.
This biography series features minority and female athletes (four men, two women) who helped shatter glass ceilings in their respective sports (tennis, golf, baseball, and boxing). The simplistic texts, which align to Common Core Standards, often raise more questions than answers but may inspire further reading. Archival photographs add interest, and lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes titles: Arthur Ashe, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Billie Jean King, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Roberto Clemente.
(4)
K-3
Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series.
Illustrated by
Doug Jones.
Cub Reporter "interviews" the legendary African American baseball player. Robinson responds to simplistic questions about his complicated life in his own hokey "voice" ("I don't want to brag. But I was a good baseball player!"). Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
40 pp.
| Dial
| January, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8037-4086-0$12.99
(3)
K-3
Ordinary People Change the World series.
Illustrated by
Christopher Eliopoulos.
In this entertaining picture-book biography, a chatty first-person narration relates events, both traumatic and triumphant, in the life of the first African American player in all-white Major League Baseball. Comic strip–style illustrations extend the story and add to the book's reluctant- and struggling-reader appeal. Archival photographs are included on the end pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib.
48 pp.
| ABDO
| January, 2015
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-62403-594-4$22.95
(3)
4-6
SportsZone: Greatest Events in Sports History series.
Robinson and Woods share the stories of two athletes breaking racial barriers in their respective sports. World Cup covers the growth of women's soccer to its record number of viewers for the 1999 U.S. World Cup win. Accessible texts, lots of color photos, and related sidebars provide compelling time capsules. There are three other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Greatest Events in Sports History titles: Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier, US Women Win the World Cup, and Tiger Woods Makes Masters History.
(3)
4-6
History's All-Stars series.
Illustrated by
Meryl Henderson.
Originally published in the Childhood of Famous Americans series, this fictionalized biography is reissued under a new series name. Focusing on Robinson's childhood, the narrative takes readers through the athlete's induction into baseball's Hall of Fame and doesn't shy away from the racism he encountered. Supported by black-and-white illustrations, the accessible text offers an engaging account of this civil rights icon's formative years. Timeline. Bib.
(3)
4-6
The author's special insight and family photographs provide a unique profile of her father, Jackie Robinson. Short chapters detail her grandmother's work raising five children; Jackie's honorable discharge from the army; his meeting with Brooklyn Dodgers president, Branch Rickey; and his work with the civil rights movement. Accessible and personal, the volume is a strong introduction to the baseball legend. Glos.
40 pp.
| Cavendish
| March, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-6140-1$17.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Mark Elliott.
This joint biography parallels Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg--baseball players who both faced prejudice because Robinson was African American and Greenberg was Jewish. Beginning with their births, Fishman traces their careers until their fateful 1947 collision at first base, where Greenberg encouraged Robinson to ignore the heckling. Elliott's figurative art is handsome but stiff.
32 pp.
| Millbrook
| March, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8225-9030-9$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Joe Morse.
Dynamic drawings of players and fans are the stars of this story about a boy who's able to attend Jackie Robinson's first Major League game only because his father's colleague doesn't want to see an African American play for the Dodgers. There's some heavy-handedness to the text, but the book provides a decent entry for discussions about prejudice.
32 pp.
| Viking
| October, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-01162-9$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
E. B. Lewis.
In this holiday book based on a true story, young baseball fan Steve Satlow is thrilled when Jackie Robinson moves into his 1940s Brooklyn neighborhood. When a misunderstanding arises over why Steve doesn't have a Christmas tree (the Satlows are Jewish), it results in a lasting friendship between the families. While the prose is labored, the story, accompanied by soft watercolors, is heartwarming.
124 pp.
| Sterling
| April, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4027-7148-4$12.95
(3)
4-6
Sterling Biographies series.
Opinionated yet informative, these latest additions to the series blend anecdotes, quotations, and facts to create engaging portraits of six of America's greatest sports stars. With some of the subject matter overlapping, these biographies focus on their athletes' careers, but also offer insight into the social and political realities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Photographs and sidebars are incorporated into the reader-friendly designs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biography titles: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.
40 pp.
| Scholastic
| October, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-05251-1$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kadir Nelson.
Jackie Robinson's daughter describes her family's Connecticut home, complete with a lake perfect for swimming and ice skating. Through the text we learn that Jackie's courage on the ball field doesn't mean he's fearless: turns out he's scared of the water. Nelson's pencil, watercolor, and oil paintings--both expressive closeups and pastoral, glowing nature scenes--reinforce the story's message about strength and bravery.
32 pp.
| Raintree
| September, 2008
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4109-3115-3$28.21
(4)
4-6
American History through Primary Sources series.
Simple, straightforward text touches on Robinson's troubled youth, military service, and challenging career as the first African American Major League Baseball player. The writing is choppy and lacks depth, but photos and archival reproductions support the information in the text. An open, inviting design makes the presentation accessible. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Simon/Wiseman
| January, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-689-86276-2$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Mike Wimmer.
Subdued yet striking oil paintings accompany poetic text to portray something wondrous: Jackie Robinson stealing home during the 1955 World Series. Inset boxes on each page relate (in tiny print) a more detailed history of how Robinson helped desegregate major-league baseball. Read the narrative first for its beautiful simplicity, then go back for the facts. Websites. Bib.
121 pp.
| Chelsea
| November, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7910-9442-6$30.00
(3)
YA
Baseball Superstars series.
These baseball biographies are unusually sophisticated in their analysis of each player within the context of his time and the state of Major League Baseball. Nuanced discussions of the player's strengths and personal failings round out the portraits. Judicious use of quotations and many photos, sidebars, and stats are included. There are eight other new books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Baseball Superstars titles: Jackie Robinson, Ichiro Suzuki, Mariano Rivera, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams.
40 pp.
| National
| October, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4263-0190-2$17.90
(3)
K-3
National Geographic History Chapters series.
This informative volume introduces readers to African American sports legend Jackie Robinson. The text highlights Robinson's professional achievements as well as his personal strengths, providing young readers with perspective on Robinson's contributions to professional baseball and the prejudice he confronted with grace. The many archival photographs of baseball greats and other historical figures add further context. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.