Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out
by
Time For Kids
Order:
USA
Can
HarperTrophy, 2005 (2005)
Hardcover, Softcover
Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke
T
he editors of
Time For KidsŪ
together with writer Denise Lewis Patrick add baseball star Jackie Robinson to an outstanding biography series for young readers. The first African American to play in the major leagues, Robinson said '
There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
'
O
n the day that Robinson walked into the team owner's office, he asked, '
are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?
' The owner's reply - '
I'm looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back
'. Robinson began with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' training team in Canada. On April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, Robinson walked into the arena for his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
R
obinson was born in 1919, with three older brothers, and a sister. Jackie's mother Mallie raised her children on a farm in Georgia. Jackie excelled in sports beyond baseball - basketball, track, tennis, and football. Athletic talent was in the family as evidenced by his brother Mack's win of a silver medal in the 1936 Olympic Games. At the University of California, Jackie was the first UCLA athlete to '
win letters in four sports
'. He served in the military during World War II, and was promoted to second lieutenant.
T
he text of Jackie Robinson's story is supplemented by photographs, and sidebars, including '
Jackie's Words to Live By
'.
Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out
features an interview with his daughter Sharon Robinson, who wrote a book about her dad entitled
Promises to Keep
. The
Time For KidsŪ
series is recommended to youngsters to start becoming familiar with historical, famous people.
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