Friday, May 7, 2010

Henry Aaron's Dream


Henry Aaron's Dream

Written and Illustrated by: Matt Tavares

Elementary Grades

"The opening page presents a stark reminder of baseball’s shameful past: a chain-link fence, its sign emblazoned with, “WHITES ONLY,” separating the viewer from the field. This reality is echoed in the narrative, which opens with Aaron’s childhood. After seeing Jackie Robinson play his first game as a Dodger in 1947, the skinny boy who could hit the ball harder than anyone around—even though he held the bat with the wrong hand on top—knew he had a chance to live his dream. But, as Tavares pointedly relates, it was anything but an easy road.

Aaron weathered racism with steady perseverance and outstanding play from the Negro Leagues to his Milwaukee Braves debut. Tavares’ vibrant artwork brings viewers into dingy dugouts, on cramped busses, and into the dust of the diamond as Aaron works his way into history. Though the book ends just at the outset of Aaron’s record-making big-league career, a final spread of stats shows how good he was, and for how amazingly long. The home-run record may have been stolen, but books like this ensure that Aaron’s legacy remains intact."

Booklist Review


Online Resources:
http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=aaron_ansonia_jhs_05_ul
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/edit/edit0204.shtml

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