Warrior on the Mound

by Sandra W. Headen

Overview

Narrated by twelve-year-old Cato, this intense and evocative story of racial unrest in prewar North Carolina ends with a dramatic match between white and Black little league teams.

1935. Twelve-year-old Cato wants nothing more than to play baseball, perfect his pitch, and meet Mr. Satchel Paige––the best pitcher in Negro League baseball. But when he and his teammates “trespass” on their town’s whites-only baseball field for a practice, the resulting racial outrage burns like a brushfire through the entire community, threatening Cato, his family, and every one of his friends.

There’s only one way this can end without violence: It has to be settled on the mound, between the white team and the Black. Winner takes all.  

Written in first person with a rich, convincing voice, Warrior on the Mound is about the experience of segregation; about the tinderbox environment of the prewar South; about having a dream; about injustice, and, finally, about dialogue.

Back matter includes an author's note, historical background, biographical information about Negro League players, and more.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"A HOME RUN."—School Library Journal, starred review

"NOT TO BE MISSED."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823457526
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sandra W. Headen, a former teacher and researcher at Chapel Hill, is a full-time writer. Her historical middle-grade novel, WARRIOR ON THE MOUND, was awarded SCBWI’s On-the-Verge/Emerging Voices Award for writers from underrepresented groups; in addition, her short story PAPA'S GIFTS (The Carolina Quarterly, March 2019) was awarded the Jones African-American Literary Award by the North Carolina Writers’ Network.

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2023

Headen uses baseball to explore themes of racism in this powerful debut set in North Carolina during the Jim Crow era. In 1935, 12-year-old Cato Jones, who is Black, aspires to pitch for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American League like his late father and older brother. Cato and his team, the Pender County Rangers, often skip school to practice on the new field built by white businessman Luke Blackburn for his own son’s team. Cato dreams of playing an actual game on that field, with its real bases, bleachers, and pitching mound: “I would love to see the Rangers whip the tar out of that white boy and his team right on their own fancy ball field. Just one fair game, and we could do it.” Scheduling a game against Blackburn’s son proves easy; keeping it fair, however, is not. And after the ball game triggers a resurgence of racial violence, Cato’s tight-knit Black community must rally around one another to keep each other safe. The protagonist’s first-person POV adds immediacy to this emotionally charged sports novel, making for a winning combination of action-driven plotting and underlying historical tension that will inspire discussion surrounding Jim Crow era and contemporary prejudice. Ample back matter concludes. Ages 8–12. Agent: Victoria Selvaggio, Storm Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "This engaging novel tackles themes of bullying, ­racism, segregation, strength, and forgiveness. . . A home run of a book that is brave enough to speak the hard truths. . ."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

★ "An outstanding blend of history, sports, and coming of age: not to be missed."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Along with creating a protagonist strong enough to exercise good judgment despite provocation, the author assembles a cast rich in people of good will. . ."—Booklist

"The protagonist’s first-person POV adds immediacy to this emotionally charged sports novel, making for a winning combination of action-driven plotting and underlying historical tension that will inspire discussion surrounding Jim Crow era and contemporary prejudice."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2024

Gr 5–8—In Poplar Springs, NC, 12-year-old Cato aspires to play in the Negro Baseball Leagues, just like his dad and brother. A swirl of mystery surrounds the sudden death of his father, Daddy Mo, four years ago, but the pain remains just as strong. It's 1939 in the South, and the odds seem stacked against Cato with rampant racism and Jim Crow laws in place. While he and his friends get plenty of practice on their makeshift baseball field, the big talk is the new field built for the white boys. Cutting school and sneaking onto the new field gets Cato and his teammates into a pickle with the white team. In order to settle things, it is suggested that they compete in a series of games on the new field. While this sits very well with Cato and his team, the white players are not fond of the idea at all. The racial tension seeps from the field into every aspect of Cato's life, adding even more weight to each game and putting people in danger. Told in the first person, this engaging novel tackles themes of bullying, racism, segregation, strength, and forgiveness. Helpful back matter roots Cato's story in its historical context with an author's note, time line, bibliography, and biographies of the real Negro League players after which characters are named. VERDICT A home run of a book that is brave enough to speak the hard truths, this is a first purchase for all libraries.—Tracy Cronce

School Library Journal

★ 2023-12-16
It’s 1939, and an African American tween in North Carolina is looking forward to following his older brother and now-deceased father into the Negro Baseball Leagues.

Twelve-year-old Cato Jones desperately wants to be a great pitcher, just like his beloved father, Daddy Mo. Cato and his teammates go see the impressive new (but whites-only) ballfield, and they can’t resist trying it out. But when they’re accused of causing damage, Cato knows his denial won’t be enough to challenge a white person’s lie. Gradually Cato learns that Daddy Mo and Luke Blackburn, the white man who owns the field, were friends, but no one will share what happened on the night Daddy Mo died. Mr. Luke agrees to a game between the Black and white teams, an event disrupted by racial threats. The racist undercurrents in town go back decades, and some seek to use these divisions to sow even more discord. All of that seems unimportant when Isaac, Cato’s brother, arrives home, the victim of a terrible beating. Debut author Headen has crafted a highly engaging novel that skillfully and believably weaves actual events into the story. The energy of sports and Cato’s drive to excel propel the narrative. Family and community dynamics reflect the times but still allow today’s readers to connect with Cato and his friends.

An outstanding blend of history, sports, and coming of age: not to be missed. (author’s note, historical notes, timeline, resources, further reading) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews