The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend

The bestselling novel based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson.

Stephen Satlow is an eight-year-old boy living in Brooklyn, New York, which means he only cares about one thing-the Dodgers. Steve and his father spend hours reading the sports pages and listening to games on the radio. Aside from an occasional run-in with his teacher, life is pretty simple for Steve.

But then Steve hears a rumor that an African American family is moving to his all-Jewish neighborhood. It's 1948 and some of his neighbors are against it. Steve knows this is wrong. His hero, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball the year before.

Then it happens--Steve's new neighbor is none other than Jackie Robinson! Steve is beyond excited about living two doors down from the Robinson family. He can't wait to meet Jackie. This is going to be the best baseball season yet! How many kids ever get to become friends with their hero?

Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of many acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction. She has written several books about her father, including Promises to Keep, Testing the Ice, The Hero Two Doors Down, and Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By. She is also the author of the memoir Child of the Dream and the picture book Under the Same Sun about her family in Tanzania, as well as the middle-grade novels Safe at Home and Slam Dunk!