If you have a baseball fan in your life, you know that this is the time of year when the race to the pennant begins to heat up.  Given the Brewers’ record of late, it seems doubtful that they will be in contention, but it’s an exciting time of year nonetheless.

One of the things that makes baseball such an appealing pastime is its rich history.  Baseball has been part of the American landscape dating back more than 150 years.  Kids who dig both history and baseball can find lots of great reading that will teach them about the history of baseball and some of its legends.  One way to motivate a young baseball fan is to explore the remarkable history of baseball’s Negro Leagues and how African-American baseball players played an important part of baseball’s history.

The Washington Park Library is hosting “Pride and Passion: the African-American Baseball Experience” through September 4th. MPL is one of only 25 libraries nationwide to host this traveling exhibit, which is sponsored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the American Library Association Learn the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues, and how African-American baseball players have fared in the major leagues since Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.   The exhibit features photographs, team rosters, scorecards and other baseball memorabilia from the 19th century to the present.

If you have a young baseball aficionado in your life, why not share this informative exhibit with him or her? After you visit, check out some of the books listed below.  Baseball isn’t just a game—it’s part of our history and heritage.

For more information about the Pride and Passion exhibit: www.mpl.org/file/pride_index.html

The Forgotten Players: The Story of Black Baseball in America by Robert Gardner.
Ages 12 and up
Gardner traces the history of the Negro Leagues that evolved due to segregation in professional baseball and the experiences of black players from the late 19th through the early 20th century.

Satchel Paige: Don’t Look Back by David A. Adler
Ages 4-8
Satchel Paige is an inspired subject for baseball lovers, readers who are interested in African-American history, and anyone who has held on to a dream.

The Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis
Ages 4-8
There’s nothing Reginald loves more than the music from his violin. But his father, manager of one of the worst baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, needs a bat boy, not a “fiddler.” Needing a place to practice, Reginald fills the dugout with music in his spare moments—and inspires a rally by the team that culminates in a showdown with the best team in the league.

Negro Leagues: All-Black Baseball by Laura Driscoll
Ages 4-8
Presents a history of the Negro Leagues, in the form of a school report written by a young girl after a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Deneberg
Ages 9-12
As the first black man to play in the all-white baseball leagues, he was a symbol of courage, hope, and unity for all black and white Americans, and for people throughout the world.

Hank Aaron: Brave in Every Way by Peter Golenbock
Ages 6-10
This is the moving story of Hank Aaron’s strength and perseverance—of how he became a great ballplayer and an inspiration to all.

Chances are if you clicked on this entry it’s because you have a young man in your life that you are trying to engage in books and reading. I’ve written before about boys and reading. It’s a reoccurring theme for those of us with boys. I’m the mother of two sons—one that I’ve always considered to be a reader—usually has a book on his nightstand, reads the paper every morning, asks me to pick up a book at the library, etc…. and one whom I would typify as, “He can read just fine—scores well above his grade level on standardized tests, reads when he needs to for school assignments, but he doesn’t read much for pleasure.” I rarely catch him with his nose in a book. Of course I want him to be a capable reader who reads to gain important information needed to succeed in school. I think he’s okay there. But, I also want him to understand the pure joy of reading for pleasure. And of course, by reading for pleasure, I know he will improve his comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills.

Matching the right book to the right boy can be a challenge.

Perhaps we also need to take a step back and re-examine the issue of reading and what constitutes reading. Maybe our boys read more than we think they do. Video games (ugh, I know) come with pretty involved instructions. I can’t make any sense out of Pokemon cards—but they do have a lot of words on them! If you have a sports fan in your house you may catch him reading the sports page or a sports magazine. Even if he only reads the captions—he is reading! Okay, this may be stretching it, but have you ever looked at all of the text when you hit “guide” on your television remote? Some shows have lengthy descriptions! The daily comics and graphic novels can be surprisingly complex. I know none of this equals reading “meaningful” text or novels with well-developed characters and stories where there is a clear beginning, middle and end. But, it is, undeniably, reading.

Look around and observe the reading habits of the boys in your life. Observe what your children are doing and take note of this “environmental” reading they may be engaging in. Is it a lot or not much at all? What is the factor that is getting them to read? Is it a game, the activity itself, or popularity? You might be surprised to discover that they read more than you think they do.

Next time I’ll discuss ways to elaborate on this "base" to try to encourage boys to expand their reading habits/choices and I promise to cover some boy books for those who still want to see their noses in a book!