  | Contenders : two native baseball players, one World Series Author: Sorell, Traci | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native American pro baseball players to face off in a World Series.
| Illustrator: | Starr, Arigon |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 5.70 Points: .5 Quiz: 523007 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (03/01/23)
Booklist (02/15/23)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/03/23)
The Hornbook (00/03/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/01/2023 Sibert Honor Book author Sorell introduces readers to catcher John Meyers and pitcher Charles Bender, two Indigenous baseball players whose teams opposed each other in the 1911 World Series. Bender, who hailed from Minnesota's White Earth Reservation, attended two different Indian residential schools in Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, eventually earning a spot with the Philadelphia Athletics. Meyers picked up the game on his Cahuilla reservation in California and played minor league ball in the Southwest before being drafted by the New York Giants. Throughout, Sorell emphasizes the insults and slurs both players endured from other players, the fans, and the media. Starr's full-color, hand-drawn digital art uses archival photos for reference. She employs a realistic style that emphasizes facial expressions and incorporates both Cahuilla and Ojibwe designs into the art. The inclusion of newspaper headlines, baseball cards, and ticket stubs adds to the visual presentation. Appended with a time line, author notes, and sources, this makes an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as diversity units. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
Booklist - 02/15/2023 Sibert Honor Book author Sorell introduces readers to catcher John Meyers and pitcher Charles Bender, two Indigenous baseball players whose teams opposed each other in the 1911 World Series. Bender, who hailed from Minnesota’s White Earth Reservation, attended two different Indian residential schools in Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, eventually earning a spot with the Philadelphia Athletics. Meyers picked up the game on his Cahuilla reservation in California and played minor league ball in the Southwest before being drafted by the New York Giants. Throughout, Sorell emphasizes the insults and slurs both players endured from other players, the fans, and the media. Starr’s full-color, hand-drawn digital art uses archival photos for reference. She employs a realistic style that emphasizes facial expressions and incorporates both Cahuilla and Ojibwe designs into the art. The inclusion of newspaper headlines, baseball cards, and ticket stubs adds to the visual presentation. Appended with a time line, author notes, and sources, this makes an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as Native history units. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
