by Bill Wise & illustrated by Adam Gustavson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2012
A fascinating introduction to a little-known hero.
At a time when deaf people were routinely called “Dummy,” William Hoy accepted and owned the nickname proudly.
He had become deaf as a result of meningitis and endured loneliness and isolation before attending a school for the deaf, learning American Sign Language and joining the school baseball team. Starting on an amateur team and moving into professional baseball in the minor leagues, he used ingenuity and acute observation to overcome difficulties in following umpires’ calls and to anticipate possible plays in every situation. He played for 14 years with several major league teams, racking up solid statistics and several fielding records. Fans tossed confetti and waved arms, hats and handkerchiefs to let him know that they were cheering for him. When he faced a deaf pitcher in a historic game in 1902, each signed recognition of the other’s remarkable achievements. Employing rich descriptive language with just the right combination of drama and information, Wise emphasizes Hoy’s steadfastness and determination in his baseball exploits and in every endeavor before and after his career. Gustavson’s sharply detailed illustrations, rendered in oil on paper, follow the text faithfully and offer glimpses into the look and feel of life and baseball in the19th century. Line sketches of baseball action and hand signals fill the endpapers.
A fascinating introduction to a little-known hero. (author’s note, sources, afterward) (Picture book/biography.6-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60060-411-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012
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by Bill Wise ; illustrated by Rebecca Evans
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by Chris Barton ; illustrated by Don Tate ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015
A picture book worth reading about a historical figure worth remembering.
An honestly told biography of an important politician whose name every American should know.
Published while the United States has its first African-American president, this story of John Roy Lynch, the first African-American speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, lays bare the long and arduous path black Americans have walked to obtain equality. The title’s first three words—“The Amazing Age”—emphasize how many more freedoms African-Americans had during Reconstruction than for decades afterward. Barton and Tate do not shy away from honest depictions of slavery, floggings, the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow laws, or the various means of intimidation that whites employed to prevent blacks from voting and living lives equal to those of whites. Like President Barack Obama, Lynch was of biracial descent; born to an enslaved mother and an Irish father, he did not know hard labor until his slave mistress asked him a question that he answered honestly. Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Lynch had a long and varied career that points to his resilience and perseverance. Tate’s bright watercolor illustrations often belie the harshness of what takes place within them; though this sometimes creates a visual conflict, it may also make the book more palatable for young readers unaware of the violence African-Americans have suffered than fully graphic images would. A historical note, timeline, author’s and illustrator’s notes, bibliography and map are appended.
A picture book worth reading about a historical figure worth remembering. (Picture book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5379-0
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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by Chris Barton ; illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
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by Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson with Chris Barton ; illustrated by Kyung Eun Han
by Rob Harrell ; illustrated by Rob Harrell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2020
Not your typical kid-with-cancer book.
A rare form of cancer takes its toll in this novel based on the author’s experience.
Seventh grader Ross Maloy wants nothing more than to be an average middle schooler, hanging out with his best friends, Abby and Isaac, avoiding the school bully, and crushing on the popular girl. There’s just one thing keeping Ross from being completely ordinary: the rare form of eye cancer that’s reduced him to the kid with cancer at school. Ross’ eye is closed in a permanent wink, and he constantly wears a cowboy hat to protect his eyes. The doctors are hopeful that Ross will be cancer free after treatment, but his vision will be impaired, and the treatments cause him to lose his hair and require the application of a particularly goopy ointment. This isn’t a cancer book built upon a foundation of prayer, hope, and life lessons. The driving force here is Ross’ justifiable anger. Ross is angry at the anonymous kids making hurtful memes about him and at Isaac for abandoning him when he needs a friend most. Ross funnels his feelings into learning how to play guitar, hoping to make a splash at the school’s talent show. The author balances this anger element well against the typical middle-grade tropes. Misunderstood bully? Check. Well-meaning parents? Check. While some of these elements will feel familiar, the novel’s emotional climax remains effectively earned. Characters are paper-white in Harrell’s accompanying cartoons.
Not your typical kid-with-cancer book. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-1514-9
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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by Rob Harrell ; illustrated by Rob Harrell
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by Rob Harrell ; illustrated by Rob Harrell
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by Rob Harrell ; illustrated by Rob Harrell
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