First in the Field: Baseball Hero Jackie Robinson

As an African-American, Jackie Robinson had to fight for his rights again and again until he broke the Major League's color line. "First in the Field" explores the early years of this baseball legend, as he paved the way for other African Americans in professional sports, and made a place for himself in American history. Dozens of color photos.

Grade 3-5AA short, readable, and attractive photobiography of the legendary player who broke baseball's color barrier. The book focuses on Robinson's childhood and early adulthood, with less emphasis than some longer biographies on his career as an athlete and his involvement with civil rights causes after his playing days were over. The narrative is written in a clear, matter-of-fact style. The archival black-and-white photographs are well chosen and of excellent quality. (Minor design quibbles: on the pages that begin each chapter, the text is overlaid on a photograph, making it difficult to read. Also, on some pages it is difficult to follow the flow of the text.) A time line of African-American milestones in sports history is appended. Although most libraries probably have several books on Robinson, this one has the advantage of being eye-catching and succinct.ATodd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
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