Roberto Clemente: Baseball's Humanitarian Hero (Trailblazer Biographies)
Grade 4-8–This excellent biography is well organized and enlivened with interesting details and anecdotes. It opens with a vivid account of the last game of the 1972 season, in which Clemente recorded his 3000th hit, and proceeds with a chronological account of his life, beginning with his impoverished boyhood in Puerto Rico. He spent his entire 18-season career with the Pirates, where he led them to two World Series wins (1960 and 1971), won the N.L. MVP in 1966 and 1971, 12 Gold Glove awards, and recorded 3000 hits. Tragically, he died soon afterward in a plane crash while attempting to bring aid to the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. In the early part of his career, Clemente faced a deeply segregated society, and he struggled with an unfriendly press much of his career. After his death, he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame and an award was created in his name to recognize sportsmanship, community involvement, and team leadership. Black-and-white photos are generally well chosen, and the helpful appendixes include his career statistics. Balancing facts with insightful perspective, this is a readable, well-rounded portrait of a remarkable individual.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.