Synopses & Reviews
She looks the batter in the eye. Sizes him up for a curve- or fastball. Stretches her 5' 2" frame. And pops a surefire, windup, coming-right-at-ya pitch smack dab over the plate. One that lets the batter know that this "peanut of a girl" means business.
Fueled by her passion for the game and buoyed by the inspiration of Jackie Robinson, Mamie Johnson is determined to be a professional baseball pitcher. From the time she insists on trying out for the all-male all-white Police Athletic League team until she becomes one of only three women to play in the Negro Leagues, Mamie Johnson's life shows that courage and a fierce curveball can make a childhood dream come true.
Review
"An enjoyable account of a part of baseball history that will come as a surprise to many readers." School Library Journal
Synopsis
Motivated by her love for the game and inspired by the legendary Jackie Robinson, Mamie Johnson is determined to be a professional baseball pitcher. But in a sport that's determined by white men, there is no place for a black woman. Mamie doesn't give up-from the time she insists on trying out for the all-male, all-white Police Athletic League until she realizes her dream and becomes one of three women to play in the Negro Leagues. Mamie Johnson's life shows that with courage and perseverance one can overcome even the greatest challenges.
Synopsis
Motivated by her love for the game and inspired by the legendary Jackie Robinson, Mamie Johnson is determined to be a professional baseball pitcher. But in a sport that's determined by white men, there is no place for a black woman. Mamie doesn't give up-from the time she insists on trying out for the all-male, all-white Police Athletic League until she realizes her dream and becomes one of three women to play in the Negro Leagues. Mamie Johnson's life shows that with courage and perseverance one can overcome even the greatest challenges.
About the Author
Michelle Y. Green is a graduate of the University of Maryland College of Journalism and the Johns Hopkins University Masters Program in Writing. She teaches "The Art of Writing for Children," and two other courses at The George Washington University School of Continuing Education.
Ms. Green is the author of A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie Peanut Johnson, the true story of the first woman to pitch professional baseball in a mens league. She is also the author of the award-winning childrens book series, Willie Pearl, a book about her mother set in a Depression-era coal mining town.
Ms. Green lives with her two sons, Bryan and Evan, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where she roots for her favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles.