Soldier Athletes

September 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 What happens when professional athletes spend time in service to their country? Stout brings four of these men into the spotlight and offers readers real human-interest stories. Ted Williams, a Boston Red Sox outfielder, was one of a number of baseball players who served in WWII. A reservist, he was then ordered to Korea. Stout seamlessly blends the various narrative strands into a compelling story of a superstar who didn't think it was particularly fair to be recalled but served with distinction anyway. Also profiled are Rocky Bleier, a Pittsburgh Steeler injured in Vietnam; Carlos May, a White Sox outfielder, who kept playing after a National Guard accident; and, perhaps of most interest, Pat Tillman, an Arizona Cardinal killed by friendly fire. Although Stout is a bit easy on the U.S. Army (e.g., using the word unfortunately as he explains an army cover-up), he gives a well-rounded view of the event and its aftermath. A few photographs extend the text, but Stout's writing is what's most vivid. Stats and an author's note about sources are appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)