42 Is Not Just a Number
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Meticulous research highlights this wonderful new addition to the biographies of the Brooklyn Dodgers hero and pioneer in desegregation of major league sports. The author pored over other biographies of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey and interviewed people who knew them well. As a baseball fan myself, I was amazed at the number of details about Jackie’s life I learned for the first time.
Jackie’s mother, Mallie, was a generous soul who insisted on education and religion for her children. Greatness entered Jackie’s life early when his older brother, Mack, ran alongside Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics, earning a silver medal in the 200-meter dash. Fighting against discrimination was also part of Jackie’s life early, but he often solved the problem with physical confrontation, something he had to abandon once Branch Rickey hired him for the Dodgers. With his wife by his side, he rose above all the violence and indignity and had a stellar ten-year baseball career. He wasn’t always accepted, but he did earn a place in history.
Accounts of specific games ring true for baseball fans but are easily read by non-fans. The importance lies in the impact he had upon the world at large. Baseball fans and other human beings need to read this short biography.
Title: 42 Is Not Just a Number - Author: Doreen Rappaport
- Published: Candlewick Press, September 5, 2017
- Reviewer: Sue Poduska
- Format: Hardcover, 128 pages
- Grade Level: 3 to 7
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Sports
- ISBN: 978-0-7636-7624-7
- Extras: Author’s Note, Detailed Timeline, Source Notes, Selected Bibliography, Index