He wanted to be baseball player, but to do so he had to fight off many odds to get there. ( )

This book goes through the life of Louis Sockalexis and his baseball career. I absolutely love the illustrations; the paint strokes definitely express movement. I would include it in my classroom because it accurately tells the story in that time (it doesn't water down the discrimination Louis endured). In addition to this, I would read it to grades 1st-5th and include it in a history lesson on Native Americans passed the 1800s. ( )

I really enjoyed this book about the first Native American major league baseball player. I had not realized that Native Americans faced discrimination in sports before reading this book. In that sense, I believe this book pushes readers to think of another culture that faced hardships in America, besides African-Americans. The plot was also very insightful because not only did Sockalexis deal with hatred from spectators, but also his Native American tribe and father were not supportive of his career. At the end of the book, Louis sees his father and tribe at the baseball stadium, where he was up against a mean pitcher, and their support helps him hit a homerun. The book focuses a lot on the importance of heritage and is a great tool for teaching students to respect other cultures. ( )

I thought that this was a easy biography for children to read. This book also helps teach how to overcome racial and social injustices.

Louis dreamed of being a baseball player, and despite the discrimination he faced for being Indian, he prevailed. Wise gives readers the background for Sockalexis’s rise to baseball fame, integrating lively literary elements such as figurative language and setting. The accompanying illustrations are colorful and reinforce the text. Especially gorgeous are the faces of persons throughout the story; they are done with shades and lines that allow emotion to shine through. ( )