Kitchen Table Blogs
Name: Victoria Sanchez
Kids: two sons, ages 15 and 13
Works: Milwaukee Public Library Education Specialist
Favorite part about being a mom: Watching my children become young adults.
Least favorite part about being a mom: Letting go.
Famous for: Coordinating carpool, summer camps, music lessons and soccer practice with military precision.
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.
Tags: baseball
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