Something to Prove

March 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-In 1936, the Yankee's general manager wanted to test a new prospect named Joe DiMaggio. During the era of segregated baseball, Satchel Paige, the best pitcher in the Negro Leagues, was asked to face off against a team of white major leaguers, which included DiMaggio. The author builds suspense with dazzling descriptions of Paige's "wobbly ball" and "windmill wind-up" that even nonbaseball fans will appreciate. Cooper's signature artistic style is grainy in appearance and is more muted than that in Willie and the All-Stars (Philomel, 2008). The brown palette is similar to his art in Heather Lang's Queen of the Track (Boyds Mills, 2012), the action-filled poses are consistently dramatic, and the portraiture is outstanding. Use this memorable title for fans of the game, for Black History month, or for any discussion on segregated life in the United States.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

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