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The Bat Boy & His Violin
Reginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a "fiddler," and traveling with the Dukes doesn't leave Reginald much time for practicing.
Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach -- and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. Has Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck -- and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs?
Gavin Curtis's beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit and E. B. Lewis's lush watercolor paintings capture a very special period in history.
Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach -- and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. Has Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck -- and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs?
Gavin Curtis's beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit and E. B. Lewis's lush watercolor paintings capture a very special period in history.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Gavin Curtis
30 books2 followersReceived a BFA degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Teaches pre-kindergarten in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
June 30, 2022
It is 1948, one year after the integration of Major League League. The Negro Leagues were determined to keep their game going even if it meant operating at a loss. Reginald isn’t interested in his father’s team, the Dukes. He would rather play his violin, knowing pieces by Tchaichovsky, Mozart, and Bach by heart. With an upcoming recital, Reginald practices all day and night, prompting his father to make him the Duke’s new bat boy. There is one caveat, Reginald is allowed to bring his violin.
With prose by Gavin Curtis and stunning artwork by E.B. Lewis, the pair brings the final days of the negro leagues to life. Children and their parents learn about the sad truth behind the last days of Jim Crow laws, as teams traveled by and slept in their team bus. Even after major league integration, most venues were white only. The star of the book is Reginald who excels at the fine arts and inspires the ball players to their best winning streak in years. He is achieving his dreams and I would hope that as he grew up in the north on the cusp of full integration that he would be able to achieve great heights. This artistic picture book is a must for any young baseball fan’s library.
With prose by Gavin Curtis and stunning artwork by E.B. Lewis, the pair brings the final days of the negro leagues to life. Children and their parents learn about the sad truth behind the last days of Jim Crow laws, as teams traveled by and slept in their team bus. Even after major league integration, most venues were white only. The star of the book is Reginald who excels at the fine arts and inspires the ball players to their best winning streak in years. He is achieving his dreams and I would hope that as he grew up in the north on the cusp of full integration that he would be able to achieve great heights. This artistic picture book is a must for any young baseball fan’s library.
August 3, 2010
I read a review of this Caldecott winner book in the Washington Post kids section. It is about a boy growing up in 1948. His father is manager of a team in the Negro National League during its last days, as baseball began to be integrated as a national sport. The father believes his son, who is passionate about playing his violin, needs more fresh air and exercise, and of course exposure to baseball!
What I loved was the father's growing appreciation of his son, and the son "stepping up to the plate" as batboy for the father's team. The father-son negotiation and the father's affirmation of love for his son as even more important than his interest in having his son involved with sports was lovely.
I bought two copies. One for a grandson whose father loves baseball, and whose younger brother loves music. The other copy? For ME of course!
What I loved was the father's growing appreciation of his son, and the son "stepping up to the plate" as batboy for the father's team. The father-son negotiation and the father's affirmation of love for his son as even more important than his interest in having his son involved with sports was lovely.
I bought two copies. One for a grandson whose father loves baseball, and whose younger brother loves music. The other copy? For ME of course!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2017
Reginald enjoyed playing the violin and he practiced all the time. While his mother supported him, his dad wanted him to become a baseball player. His dad cut into Reginald’s practice time by making him become bat boy for the Negro team he managed. Reginald takes his violin with him and practice when he can. Reginald is clumsy as a bat boy but is not clumsy with the violin. The team was on a losing streak until Reginald inspired the players by playing his violin. The Bat Boy & His Violin was a delightful read.
August 20, 2016
Truly a beautiful book that I'll have to read again with my violin and sheet music. I had to make do with YouTube which gave me goosebumps, but only put my listener to sleep.
January 28, 2019
In this world, most of the people force other people to do things that they think is fun for them. But they don’t realize that the thing that they are forcing to that person might not like it. In the story, The Bat Boy And His Violin, The reader learns that Everyone always has something to show in this world and just be patience and see what they can do.
April 29, 2010
This book is about a little African-American boy named Reginald, who loves to play the violin and he practices at home all the time. One day his father came home after a baseball game which the team he is the manager of, the Dukes, lose. He thinks that Reginald spends too much time inside and decides that he can be the bat boy for the Dukes. The Dukes are considered to be the worst team in the Negro National League but after Reginald plays his violin during the game the team starts to win the games. At the end of the book Reginald gets to play his recital at his home for his parents and the players and their wives.
This is book gives kids the perspective of what it was like for African-Americans during the time of segregation without making it hit you in the face. It also shows that even though they were treated differently that they were still happy and could participate in things that made them happy.
This is book gives kids the perspective of what it was like for African-Americans during the time of segregation without making it hit you in the face. It also shows that even though they were treated differently that they were still happy and could participate in things that made them happy.
November 10, 2010
Gorgeous watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis totally deserved to win the Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration, but they did not outshine also excellent story. The summary - boy who loves to play the violin is unappreciated by Negro Leagues baseball playing dad until he becomes the batboy and helps them win games - doesn't really do justice to the subtlety in the storytelling, though the coolness of the history and the message don't hurt the book either.
March 12, 2009
I really liked this story about a boy who is better at playing violin than being a bat boy in the final year of the Negro National League. This is a simple story of a father who learns to appreciate his musically gifted son who becomes a good luck charm for the Dukes baseball team.
E. B. Lewis' signature water color lends a soft edge to this touching story.
E. B. Lewis' signature water color lends a soft edge to this touching story.
March 21, 2017
Beautiful tale of how the smallest person can be the greatest inspiration to anyone.
July 27, 2014
Such a heart warming story paired with soft illustrations. Great father/son read.
May 5, 2018
_The Bat Boy and His Violin_ is a book that I just recently picked up to read. I love sports and I saw that it was a Coretta Scott King Award Recipient and so I knew I had to read it. The cover is a matte finish with a boy in a baseball uniform playing a violin, while a scene in the background wraps around the cover of men playing baseball. The end pages have nothing on them. On the copyright page it states that the illustrations are rendered in watercolors, which is what my guess was from the cover of the book. The book is set in the late 1940's with Reginald's father managing a Negro National baseball team. Because of the depth of the conversations in the book and the wordiness of the text, I would recommend this book for second through fourth graders. Some younger children might like this book read to them, but it might be harder for them to follow along. The book is sweet and shares a relationship between a father and son despite differences they might have. The illustrations are beautiful and the pictures are very realistic. The children will appreciate the pictures to follow along with the story, even though the story is really the most powerful part. Teachers can use this in class when talking about this certain time period. The book does touch on racism when the players are turned away from a hotel, but the author instead decides to focus on the father son relationship. I loved this book and will read it many more times.
October 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I like how it included historical elements, family values, and music culture. This picture book is more appropriate for middle grade elementary to older children, second to fifth grade. There is a lot of text on each page and younger students may have a harder time paying attention the entire time. Since the book is historical it would apply better to older children who are learning these themes in history. I liked how it showed the opposite side of what happened to the Negro Baseball Leagues after Jackie Robinson left, and from a young boy's perspective made the history not didactic. The illustrations are done in watercolor as said on the endpage of the book. They are done in an impressionist style because the lines are blurred, and the artist plays with light and color throughout the illustrations. Many of the illustrations cross the gutter but the characters and scene is on one page while the text is on the other. The only downfall of this book is that the little boy calls the songs he plays be the composer and those can be difficult to pronounce when reading aloud so it is important to practice beforehand. This book was a Coretta Scott King Award.
August 2, 2024
Really a sweet book in which the title pretty much sums it up.
As a music teacher (one who teaches orchestral and band instruments) I'm always trying to find ways to combine other interests with music (sports). This book fits in sweetly but there are two things it needs for it to be perfect.
1. I really feel it would be so wonderful if the author put in some background information. What led them to write this book? Tell me more about the inspiration behind the characters, the team, the story. Historical information. Yes, I can google (well, actually I'm terrible at it), but I always love the author's point of view.
2.. I'm coming from years of experience as a beginning violin teacher, and everyone else will think I'm a bit much. Buuuut.... I can't express the importance of modeling good posture and this book misses that mark. In the illustration there are some issues with bow hold, left hand technique and body posture. Minor, but important when teaching. Also, the illustrator did such a beautiful job, I feel it would have been easy for them if they had a proper model.
*read for OSU's Summer Reading BINGO Challenge, category *about music or a musician*
As a music teacher (one who teaches orchestral and band instruments) I'm always trying to find ways to combine other interests with music (sports). This book fits in sweetly but there are two things it needs for it to be perfect.
1. I really feel it would be so wonderful if the author put in some background information. What led them to write this book? Tell me more about the inspiration behind the characters, the team, the story. Historical information. Yes, I can google (well, actually I'm terrible at it), but I always love the author's point of view.
2.. I'm coming from years of experience as a beginning violin teacher, and everyone else will think I'm a bit much. Buuuut.... I can't express the importance of modeling good posture and this book misses that mark. In the illustration there are some issues with bow hold, left hand technique and body posture. Minor, but important when teaching. Also, the illustrator did such a beautiful job, I feel it would have been easy for them if they had a proper model.
*read for OSU's Summer Reading BINGO Challenge, category *about music or a musician*
February 9, 2022
The Bat Boy and his violin by Gavin Curtis, Illustrator E.B. Lewis- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- This book narrates the story of Afro- American child named Reginald who enjoys practicing & playing various tunes on his violin. His mother supported him. His father was the Manager of a Black American Baseball team named Dukes. Dukes was not winning because his players had shifted to other teams for money. His father asked Reginald to help him and join his team as a Bat Boy. He also said that he can continue to practice between matches. As a young boy, he was not able to carry 5 bats together. He repaired baseball bats by cleaning and oiling them. Whenever the team was on a losing streak his inspired violin tunes helped the players to perform better. In the end of Baseball season, Dukes won. Reginald played violin at the basement in the local Church. It was attended by his parents and the Dukes baseball team and their families. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
April 18, 2018
Despite Reginald’s love for music his father forces him to work as the bat boy for his baseball team. The young boy travels with the team and uses spare bits of time to practice. He soon begins to play for the team and their rotten luck begins to take a turn for the better.
This book originally caught my eye because of the musical aspect. I am in the marching band and am therefore interested in any book dealing with music. I really enjoyed that music was portrayed as a useful and beneficial practice in this story. I also really liked that this book gave a childlike perspective on the events of segregation. This is a unique viewpoint that helps readers create a well rounded understanding of how times changed for African Americans during this time period. This book would make a great addition to my classroom library. I could potentially be used as a read aloud when discussing the period of segregation in America.
This book originally caught my eye because of the musical aspect. I am in the marching band and am therefore interested in any book dealing with music. I really enjoyed that music was portrayed as a useful and beneficial practice in this story. I also really liked that this book gave a childlike perspective on the events of segregation. This is a unique viewpoint that helps readers create a well rounded understanding of how times changed for African Americans during this time period. This book would make a great addition to my classroom library. I could potentially be used as a read aloud when discussing the period of segregation in America.
October 8, 2018
We found this gem at a used bookstore in our little town, and it was lovely. My youngest loves baseball almost as much as I do, so we usually connect with stories like this one. Reginald is less interested in baseball than his violin. His father, a manager for "the worst team in the Negro leagues," encourages him to get outside more and talks him into becoming a bat boy. However, Reginald won't go without his violin, which he plays for the team. As the team listens to Reginald, it begins a rally that helps this losing team come back from behind for an unexpected victory. My son and I enjoyed the history, family dynamics and sweet quality of the characters. I would recommend this book to any kid who loves both the baseball diamond and the beauty of music.
April 20, 2020
This book tells the story of Juneteenth, the end of slavery, through the eyes of a little girl and her family who wake up one day to the good news that they will be free. The illustrations in this book showed old photographs that were stored as keepsakes and memories which I thought was a very powerful message.
Another book that takes a historical tone, this one teaches about the end of slavery and getting out of that particular dark time in our country’s history. Teaching the value and true reality of how slavery was a part of our past, it is great for young students. With a timeline of important dates and a glossary, this children’s book can help young children better understand a key part of American history.
Another book that takes a historical tone, this one teaches about the end of slavery and getting out of that particular dark time in our country’s history. Teaching the value and true reality of how slavery was a part of our past, it is great for young students. With a timeline of important dates and a glossary, this children’s book can help young children better understand a key part of American history.
April 5, 2022
Genre: historical fiction, grades 1-3
This book has both baseball and classical music, what more could you ask for? Similarly to the boy in the book, my dad really loved baseball but I was never that interested. However, I really loved to play music. The only difference is that my dad fully supported my musical endeavors from the start! Either way, I think that a lot of students would love this book because they have either an interest in baseball or in music. I also think that it would be a great way to include social studies in an ELA block because it talks about the integration of baseball as well as segregation. However, the heart of this story is about Reginald's relationship with his dad, which creates a beautiful story that I'm sure my students would enjoy.
This book has both baseball and classical music, what more could you ask for? Similarly to the boy in the book, my dad really loved baseball but I was never that interested. However, I really loved to play music. The only difference is that my dad fully supported my musical endeavors from the start! Either way, I think that a lot of students would love this book because they have either an interest in baseball or in music. I also think that it would be a great way to include social studies in an ELA block because it talks about the integration of baseball as well as segregation. However, the heart of this story is about Reginald's relationship with his dad, which creates a beautiful story that I'm sure my students would enjoy.
April 10, 2019
This is a cute story about a little boy that is not giving up his dream of playing the violin just to be a bat boy for his father's team. so he combines them both, he played the violin for the players and success for the team was soon to follow. Throughout the story, it has some repetition when his father keeps calling his violin a fiddle and Reginald has to correct him every time. but, at the end of the story, one of his players compliments his Reginald fiddle playing and his father corrects him and says violin. I like that little touch that the author added, I give it a solid 4 stars for the moral and idea behind the story.
May 7, 2019
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September 15, 2018
Reginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a "fiddler," and traveling with the Dukes doesn't leave Reginald much time for practicing.
Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach -- and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. I appears that Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck -- and his music seems to pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs.
Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach -- and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. I appears that Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck -- and his music seems to pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs.
June 4, 2020
The Bat Boy and His Violin is one of my favorite picture books. (I am a little partial because I play the violin too.) In this Coretta Scott King Award Honor book with beautiful illustrations, Reginald becomes the bat boy for the Negro League baseball team that his father manages. When his father decides that Reginald will come on the road with the team, Reginald isn’t so sure about how his love of violin will go along with his father’s love of baseball. They do find a way to appreciate both as music has a way of working its magic on everyone who hears it.
October 18, 2016
The Bat Boy & His Violin
http://eblewis.com/books/the-bat-boy-...
shows many illustrations from the book
This book was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award for peace, non-violent social change and brotherhood.
I would recommend this book for older grades 3-5 because of the author’s writing style. He uses long paragraphs with high level vocabulary words often.
Synthesis
Set in 1948, The Bat Boy & His Violin is a story of Reginald who loves playing the violin while his father, the coach of the Dukes, the worst baseball team in the Negro National League, dreams of him playing baseball instead of making music. To convince his son to play baseball, he tells Reginald he will be the new bat boy. When Reginald seems concerned about being able to practice the violin, his father just tells him he can play “‘tween innings”. Reginald accidentally causes the players on the team to mess up by the way he is handling the bats, and his dad tells him to “relax a spell on the bench. It’ll give you a chance to fiddle.” Frustrated because he didn’t do well and because his dad keeps calling his violin a fiddle, Reginald plays Swan Lake, sad and quiet. The players like Reginald’s playing and they begin to do well at bat while he is playing. Reginald’s father begins to take pride in his son, massaging Reginald’s arm instead of his pitcher’s. Reginald continues to play and the Dukes continue to win. Right before the big game the Dukes have to sleep on their bus because a white clerk won’t let them stay in his hotel. Reginald plays his best during the game, but the Dukes lose. Reginald is afraid that his father will stop liking his music now that it didn’t help win the game, but Papa assures him he still does like his music and tells Reginald “I love you, though, most of all. Win or lose-Negro Leagues or not-ain’t no ball game ever gonna change that.” The next week at the church recital everyone comes to see Reginald play. One of the Dukes’ players tells Papa that he likes Reginald’s fiddle playing, and Papa responds that he does too, “‘cept we prefer to call it a violin.”
Use of Text in the Classroom
I would use this text as an introduction to discuss what life was like in the late 1940s, focusing in on the ongoing segregation of Whites and Blacks. It can be used as the opening of a larger lesson, using the engaging baseball story to grasp the students’ attention and then move on to more specifically segregation based topics. I also want to go off the students’ feelings in the book to create empathy within them. How would they feel if their dad said that to them, that he didn’t even appreciate what Reginald was doing enough to call his instrument the correct name? How would they feel if someone told them they couldn’t stay somewhere because of the color of their skin? What about when the team lost? What if that was their team? To feel the weight and sadness of that allows you to feel the joy Reginald had when Papa was proud of him. Empathy is something that can be very important to teach in this book, linking to the larger skill of empathy when learning history.
This is a WOW Book Because
The Bat Boy & His Violin is a WOW book not only because of its impressive and uplifting story, but because of what time period and era the book is set in. Besides a baseball story, there are many issues of segregation in play. First of all, there is still a separate baseball league for African American baseball players, and while “folks are sayin’ now baseball’s becoming integrated” there are still places that remain segregated, like the hotel the Dukes tried to stay at.
“We don’t exactly cotton to coloreds sleepin’ in our beds, one white clerk says. “Y’all are gonna have to look elsewheres.”
This story brings this time period and battle of integration and segregation to live. By having a relatable story student can be engaged enough to learn about the hardships and injustices of that time for African Americans. Getting the students emotionally connected to the characters and situation is very important as well. By identifying and supporting the characters the students are that much more indignant than they would have been otherwise. It also pushes the reader’s mind out of stereotypes that they might have of a Black family in the 1940s by having pictures of family members in caps and gowns in the illustrations. I thought that was too well placed to overlook.
I also thought this was a powerful book due to the way that Reginald’s father handled the discrimination he faced, another important thing to cover with students. “Thank you kindly, just the same,” Papa says, tipping his cap. “I reckon our bus will do just fine.” The Dukes grilled and played music in the parking lot, making the most out of that situation, joyful.
I am impressed with this book because not only is it able to do all that I have listed above, but also able to be a book with strong family values and relationships. Throughout the season Reginald’s relationship with his father improves. Once the season is over though, Reginald’s father has realized that it was not baseball that made him love his son, but that he loved his son for who he was as a person, with his own hopes and talents, even defending Reginald at the end by saying “‘cept we prefer to call it a violin” because he knew how much that meant to Reginald.
http://eblewis.com/books/the-bat-boy-...
shows many illustrations from the book
This book was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award for peace, non-violent social change and brotherhood.
I would recommend this book for older grades 3-5 because of the author’s writing style. He uses long paragraphs with high level vocabulary words often.
Synthesis
Set in 1948, The Bat Boy & His Violin is a story of Reginald who loves playing the violin while his father, the coach of the Dukes, the worst baseball team in the Negro National League, dreams of him playing baseball instead of making music. To convince his son to play baseball, he tells Reginald he will be the new bat boy. When Reginald seems concerned about being able to practice the violin, his father just tells him he can play “‘tween innings”. Reginald accidentally causes the players on the team to mess up by the way he is handling the bats, and his dad tells him to “relax a spell on the bench. It’ll give you a chance to fiddle.” Frustrated because he didn’t do well and because his dad keeps calling his violin a fiddle, Reginald plays Swan Lake, sad and quiet. The players like Reginald’s playing and they begin to do well at bat while he is playing. Reginald’s father begins to take pride in his son, massaging Reginald’s arm instead of his pitcher’s. Reginald continues to play and the Dukes continue to win. Right before the big game the Dukes have to sleep on their bus because a white clerk won’t let them stay in his hotel. Reginald plays his best during the game, but the Dukes lose. Reginald is afraid that his father will stop liking his music now that it didn’t help win the game, but Papa assures him he still does like his music and tells Reginald “I love you, though, most of all. Win or lose-Negro Leagues or not-ain’t no ball game ever gonna change that.” The next week at the church recital everyone comes to see Reginald play. One of the Dukes’ players tells Papa that he likes Reginald’s fiddle playing, and Papa responds that he does too, “‘cept we prefer to call it a violin.”
Use of Text in the Classroom
I would use this text as an introduction to discuss what life was like in the late 1940s, focusing in on the ongoing segregation of Whites and Blacks. It can be used as the opening of a larger lesson, using the engaging baseball story to grasp the students’ attention and then move on to more specifically segregation based topics. I also want to go off the students’ feelings in the book to create empathy within them. How would they feel if their dad said that to them, that he didn’t even appreciate what Reginald was doing enough to call his instrument the correct name? How would they feel if someone told them they couldn’t stay somewhere because of the color of their skin? What about when the team lost? What if that was their team? To feel the weight and sadness of that allows you to feel the joy Reginald had when Papa was proud of him. Empathy is something that can be very important to teach in this book, linking to the larger skill of empathy when learning history.
This is a WOW Book Because
The Bat Boy & His Violin is a WOW book not only because of its impressive and uplifting story, but because of what time period and era the book is set in. Besides a baseball story, there are many issues of segregation in play. First of all, there is still a separate baseball league for African American baseball players, and while “folks are sayin’ now baseball’s becoming integrated” there are still places that remain segregated, like the hotel the Dukes tried to stay at.
“We don’t exactly cotton to coloreds sleepin’ in our beds, one white clerk says. “Y’all are gonna have to look elsewheres.”
This story brings this time period and battle of integration and segregation to live. By having a relatable story student can be engaged enough to learn about the hardships and injustices of that time for African Americans. Getting the students emotionally connected to the characters and situation is very important as well. By identifying and supporting the characters the students are that much more indignant than they would have been otherwise. It also pushes the reader’s mind out of stereotypes that they might have of a Black family in the 1940s by having pictures of family members in caps and gowns in the illustrations. I thought that was too well placed to overlook.
I also thought this was a powerful book due to the way that Reginald’s father handled the discrimination he faced, another important thing to cover with students. “Thank you kindly, just the same,” Papa says, tipping his cap. “I reckon our bus will do just fine.” The Dukes grilled and played music in the parking lot, making the most out of that situation, joyful.
I am impressed with this book because not only is it able to do all that I have listed above, but also able to be a book with strong family values and relationships. Throughout the season Reginald’s relationship with his father improves. Once the season is over though, Reginald’s father has realized that it was not baseball that made him love his son, but that he loved his son for who he was as a person, with his own hopes and talents, even defending Reginald at the end by saying “‘cept we prefer to call it a violin” because he knew how much that meant to Reginald.
September 29, 2017
This is an interesting book about a boy who loves to play the violin. He spends a lot of time at the baseball games, traveling with the team leaving very little time for him to practice. This book really shows how important baseball is to his family and his culture. In the end, the boy ends up playing the violin at his recital.
October 13, 2017
I enjoyed this short book about a boy, his father, who coached a Negro League team. The father wanted his son to drop the violin and be a bat boy for the team, hoping that would lead him towards what the father considered the better path. I'll stop there, but in this day and age, and even in the 1950's this is a nice tale.
January 14, 2019
Wonderful story about a boy whose dad is in charge of a baseball team in the negro league who would rather play the violin than be his father’s bat boy. Beautiful story with a gentle introduction to civil rights for a younger child. Does mention African American people not being allowed to stay at a hotel which might be difficult for some sensitive younger readers.
March 1, 2021
A heartwarming historical fiction picture book. This story of a father and son features a touching message of inspiration and acceptance, while set against the backdrop of the Negro Leagues baseball. The whole family enjoyed this story. (though my daughter did think the father was mean in the beginning)
November 25, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: 2-3
I loved this story!! It showcases a relationship between father and son in which the young boy is not encouraged to do what he loves…at first. The boy’s gift is soon recognized and the relationship between family members is strengthened. This is an awesome “follow your dreams” story and is great encouragement to young readers!!
Grade: 2-3
I loved this story!! It showcases a relationship between father and son in which the young boy is not encouraged to do what he loves…at first. The boy’s gift is soon recognized and the relationship between family members is strengthened. This is an awesome “follow your dreams” story and is great encouragement to young readers!!
June 3, 2017
A lovely book about a father and son finding common ground, set against post-WWII and the Negro League for baseball. Longer sections of text probably lend themselves more to grades 3-5 than younger kids. Beautiful illustrations and a relatable story.
July 31, 2018
Reginald is more interested in practicing his violin than in his father’s job managing the worst team in the Negro Leagues. When Papa makes Reginald the bat boy, though, and his music begins to lead the team to victory, Papa realizes the value of his son’s true passion.
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