Willie and the All-Stars
Grade 1–4—In 1942, young Willie already knows that nothing comes easy, but he dreams of baseball fame. When a neighbor tells him about baseball's color line, he is crushed, feeling "all closed up inside." Then he's given tickets to an exhibition game between Negro League and Major League All-Stars at Wrigley Field. Though their uniforms and equipment are aged and tattered, the Negro Leaguers, led by Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, quickly impress the crowd with their hard-driving playing style. Willie notes that "from the first pitch," they seem "hungrier for the victory," and they eventually out muscle the Major Leaguers. The story ends on a hopeful note, with a handshake between two opposing players, symbolizing that the victory has brought "a nod of acknowledgment, if not acceptance, from White to Black." An author's note adds a thumbnail sketch of the Negro Leagues. Cooper's vibrant, nostalgic oil paintings, in hues of golden brown and earth tones, enhance this story's winsome appeal. Pair it with Carole Boston Weatherford'sA Negro League Scrapbook(Boyds Mills, 2005) and Gavin Curtis'sThe Bat Boy and His Violin(S & S, 1998), both excellent introductions to this period for fans and casual readers alike.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.