Let Them Play (True Story)
Grade 2-5–This picture book brings to light a shameful incident in the history of Little League baseball. In 1955, there existed one all-black chapter of Little League teams in Charleston, SC. After the coaches selected a 14-member all-star squad in hopes of playing in the state's annual tournament, all of the white teams in the region withdrew rather than play a black team. The Charleston Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars won the state title by default. They were invited to Williamsport, PA, to watch but not play in the World Series. Raven's tone throughout is positive, but her prose stumbles a bit at times as in: [It was] A chant that said you can't steal a boy's dream to succeed, like a Jackie Robinson slide into home. The poignant message of this tale rings true even today, and Ellison's lovely paintings lend strong support to the meaning and emotion of the text.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.