Anybody's Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball

by Heather Lang, Cecilia Puglesi (Illustrator)

Overview

The Best Children's Books of the Year 2019, Bank Street College

In 1950, girls didn't play baseball––until Kathryn Johnston changed Little League.

In 1950, Kathryn Johnston wanted to play Little League baseball, but an unwritten "rule" kept girls from trying out. So she cut off her hair and tried out as a boy under the nickname "Tubby." She made the team—and changed Little League forever. This is a story about wanting to do something so badly, you're willing to break the rules, and how breaking those rules can lead to change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807503805
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Series:	She Made History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Heather Lang loves to write about real women who overcame extraordinary obstacles. Her work has received starred reviews from Booklist and SLJ, won a CCBC Choice Award, and has been nominated to the ALA Notable List. She lives with her husband and four children in Lexington, Massachusetts.
After receiving a Fulbright grant, Cecilia Puglesi completed an MFA in computer arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

The Best Children's Books of the Year 2019, Bank Street College

"Lang tells the tale in a direct and sympathetic manner, without maudlin sentimentality or anger, instead stressing Kathryn's love of baseball and her strength of character."—Kirkus Reviews


"Readers will admire [Kathryn's] grit and determination—particularly when she demands that her mother cut off her long braids so she can try out for Little League as 'a boy.'"—Publishers Weekly


"In this picture book biography, Lang doesn't leave baseball lovers stranded on base as game-related terminology is sprinkled throughout. Puglesi’s digital artwork adds depth to the text, showing strong emotions on the characters’ faces and containing fun hidden gems, especially for Yankees fans (notice the magazines and posters). The text works nicely with the illustrations and would make for a good one-on-one read."—School Library Journal​

From the Publisher

2018-01-22
It was a time when girls jumped rope and played hopscotch, all while wearing dresses.In this lightly fictionalized account of a historic figure, Kathryn Johnston loves baseball and is very good at the game, but she cannot play on a Little League team. She practices and plays on sandlots whenever she can and listens to Yankees games with her dad. Finally she decides to try something daring. She asks her mom to cut her hair short and borrows her brother's pants and cap, briefly trying out for a Little League team as a boy, "Tubby" Johnston. She makes the team and plays well, but the pretense is hard to maintain. Eventually she tells the coach, who recognizes her skills and keeps her on the team. The next year, 1951, Little League institutes a rule banning girls from eligibility "under any conditions." It wasn't until 1974 that the ban was lifted. Lang tells the tale in a direct and sympathetic manner, without maudlin sentimentality or anger, instead stressing Kathryn's love of baseball and her strength of character. Puglesi's bright cartoons have the look of the mid-20th century, depicting the characters, all white, with very large round eyes in heads that are larger than their bodies while still conveying subtle changes in emotions. Young readers are introduced to an admirable woman.Hooray for Kathryn, who made her quiet mark on baseball. (author's note, timeline, acknowledgements) (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews