Stealing Home
Grade 4-6–There's just too much going on in this unevenly told, short novel. In 1947, Joey is a recently orphaned nine-year-old; his mother had a drug problem and her death leaves him on his own. He is of mixed race  and knows little about his family. Then he learns that his African-American father is dead, but that he has relatives on his mother's side who live in nearby Brooklyn and are willing to take him in. Joey finds out that his mother was Jewish, and after she eloped, her family severed all ties with her. He has some trouble fitting into his new home, but gradually he finds a place. He enjoys learning about Jewish customs and finds a close companion in his cousin Bobbi, a fellow baseball fan. A Yankees aficionado, he can't help but be impressed with the Dodgers' star rookie, Jackie Robinson. Unfortunately, Joey is not a fully realized character and the supporting characters are one-dimensional. The plot follows an all-too-predictable course. Also, Schwartz writes that in the opening game of the 1947 World Series, Robinson stole home, then admits in an afterword that this is untrue. Even with this admission, baseball fans will find this distortion of the facts unacceptable: Robinson's achievements, both on and off the field need no elaboration. Steer young readers toward Dan Gutman'sJackie and Me(HarperCollins, 1999) for a readable and accurate story featuring Jackie Robinson.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.