Rebecca Gibbon

I loved that the main character, Katie, was not a “typical girl.” She could not knit, bake, or dance like the other girls, but she was really good at baseball. Katie embraced her differences and did not conform to the mainstream idea of what a woman should be. She is a great example for girls who have different interests than her peers. Another aspect of the book I liked was the historical reference to the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. This league is often overlooked show more in history, though it was the beginning of a general acceptance of women as professional athletes. I found it interesting to learn the historical context of the all girls baseball league, especially since it does not exist anymore. It makes me curious why the league was never brought back, especially now where equality for women is emphasized. The message of this book is acceptance of differences and appreciating gifts and talents in young women, even if society opposes. show less

i enjoyed this book, We had it as a read aloud in class during Historical Fiction Week. I really enjoyed the way the book was written. The words were descriptive and allowed the reader to really relate to the character. For example, the story stated that Katie Casey preferred "batting to baking" and "sliding to sewing". It was a very clever way to engage the reader in the context of the story and just how much of a "girl" Katie Casey was not. I also liked how relatable Katie Casey is, I grew show more up as a tomboy as well, only I preferred goals to gold and running to relaxing. I loved soccer as much as Katie loves baseball. To me personally, she was a very relatable character. Another thing I liked is how the book portrayed history, as women just coming on to the baseball scene. It wasn't popular, but It was amazing. Katie's parents even eventually cam around. The main idea of this sotory is passion for sports and really achieving goals that may seem impossible. show less

Summary:
Players In Pigtails is a historical fiction book about women playing baseball. This book was set in the time period before World War II. With all the men joining the troops, there were fewer and fewer men to play baseball. Then the All American Women's Baseball league began. Katie Casey had a dream of playing professional baseball and despite what other people said to discourage her, she ignored them and helped the start of the All American Women’s Baseball league. Everyone was show more blown away by the performance of the girls team and began to believe that girls can play baseball.

Reaction:
I enjoyed this book because I love sports and I play collegiate golf. Golf was also considered only a man's sport back in the day and women fought to change that. The book proves that a woman with vision and determination can accomplish anything she wants to. The book shows young girls that they do not have to be good at “girly things” and that they should persevere on their talents and never give up. The illustrations are detailed and really helped set the time of the story. The capitalisation of certain words such as “PLAY BALL” made the text pop out and seem more alive and real.

Classroom extensions:
1. Have the class play baseball.
2. Research pictures of the beginning of women's baseball.
3. Learn the history of baseball.
4. Have a lesson on equality. show less

Katie Casey loves baeball but wasn't allowed to play until most of the men, including the baseball players, went to fight in World War II. The "girls" leagues were not welcomed at first and faced criticism until people saw that women's baseball was just as entertaining and the women were just as good as the men at playing. The time period makes the story so relevant and shocking. Women did not work and especially didn't play baseball because it was "manly" or "unfeminine." During the war, show more the men left and women had to take their place in factories and even for entertainment, like baseball. The main point I got from this story was that no matter what some people believe, women don't have to fit a certain societal view of "feminine" and activities, like baseball, should not come with a gender stereotype. This book may be set in a different time period, but it is important even today to teach students that they can do anything they want. show less