Book Blog #2: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Title: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Author: James Sturm & Rich Tommaso

Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children (2007)

Age: 4^th-6^th grade

Lexile Reading Level: GN690L

Awards:  n/a

Review

Baseball is my passion. I love to watch, read, talk, and write about the game. I especially love to read about the Negro Leagues – the leagues created for black baseball players when they were not allowed to play with whites. Satchel Paige was the biggest name in the Negro Leagues (if not all of baseball) and the legends of his exploits both on and off the field are legendary.

However, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow is not about Satchel Paige. Not really.

It’s about a fictional sharecropper in Alabama named Emmet Wilson. Wilson had once been a hotshot rookie who doubled off of Paige in a game only to suffer a career-ending injury later that inning when he tried to score. The book is told from Wilson’s perspective. We anticipate the at bat against Paige. We deal with the struggle of losing your dream and being forced into this horrific pseudo-slave system in the Jim Crow south where Wilson and his family live in fear of the young, sadistic white men who lord over them. When a traveling team of black ballplayers comes to town to take on the local white team, Wilson finds joy and pride in the exploits of the players on the field, especially Paige.

It’s a fine book. The reader is drawn to Wilson, roots for him. The art is simple - black and white and grey and tan - which I think gives the story gravitas. I’m sure it would be eye-opening for young readers and could be a starting point for other discussions. That being said, it’s not the book I expected or wanted. It’s not about Satchel Paige. It’s not about Jim Crow. It’s about a man who lives in the Jim Crow south. Paige becomes an almost mythical character in the book and, in an odd way, I think that cheapens what he did. Paige was a man. A man who was, in his prime, the best pitcher in the world and yet he wasn’t allowed to compete day in and day out against white players because of bigotry. Despite that, Paige thrived. And he inspired thousands if not millions. I think that graphic novel should be made. Sadly, this one is not it.

Recommended Pairings:

1. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball – Kadir Nelson

2. Only the Ball Was White – Robert Peterson

3. March – John Lewis

We Are the Ship is one of my all time favorite books. Like in Satchel Paige, Nelson uses a fictional character to be the narrator as he traces the history of the Negro Leagues from their creation in 1920 until the integration of baseball in 1947. As a bonus, Nelson’s artwork is incredible. In addition, Nelson has written several other books about the life of black men and women in America that are all worth reading. Peterson’s book is written for adults but excerpts could be read for students. The players – Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Buck O’Neill, and dozens more – come alive. And finally, March would be a great pairing as it, too, is a graphic novel and shows the continuation of the struggle that Wilson faces in Satchel Paige. I wrote about my love for Rep. Lewis’ March trilogy in my first Read & Discuss post. It’s one of the most important books of the last decade.

Suggested Activities:

Graphic novels are such a great tool for teachers and librarians. They break down barriers for children and there are numerous studies that show how GNs are beneficial for growing minds. You could just have a graphic novel class where students read graphic novels (both fiction and nonfiction) and create their own.

For older kids, Satchel Paige and March could be used in studies of segregation, civil rights, and American history in general.

And of course, Satchel Paige could be used in studying the history of baseball and, specifically, it’s role in the civil rights movement. Interesting parallels could be drawn between sports in the 20s, 30s, and 40s and today’s athletes.