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

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

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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.

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About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807503799
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Series:	She Made History
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
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.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

02/19/2018
As a child in 1950, Kathryn Johnston plays baseball alongside the boys in her neighborhood. But when it comes to playing on a Little League team, no girls are allowed. Johnston is pugnacious both on and off the field, as she dives for a grounder, slides into base, and angrily laments having to watch the games from the sidelines. Readers will admire her 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.” Puglesi’s cartoons have the appearance of vintage dolls, with exaggerated, marblelike eyes that somewhat limit their range of expression. A final spread depicts Johnston throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in 2006, while an author’s note featuring photographs and additional background provides added historical context. Ages 5–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2018
Gr 2–4—Kathryn "Tubby" Johnston wants nothing more than to play baseball—and has the skills to do it. The only problem: it's 1950 and girls aren't allowed to play. So the trailblazer disguises herself as a boy and makes the team. 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. The back matter is rather slight. Lang includes an author's note, which explains the legal fight for girls to play Little League, and a time line. Readers are told in the acknowledgements that sources can be found at the author's website. While Lang swings for the fences, she settles for a solid double. VERDICT Best for the baseball-obsessed, and a second purchase where Little League is popular.—Kerri Williams, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

School Library Journal

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

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

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