I am Jackie Robinson (Ordinary People Change the World)

My family loves baseball; all 3 of my sons play baseball and Jackie Robinson is a big figure in our house. This book is wonderful for so many reasons, but the best part is that it tells the story of a great man through the eyes of a child. It is Jackie's story, from his perspective as a little boy, experiencing racism, poverty and the drive that gave his success in the middle of so much adversity. This is a great book to introduce to 2nd and 3rd graders, as it explains in very simple terms, racism and how it hurts others. This would be a book to introduce in a social studies/language arts unit, as a means to have a discussion about racism and how that affects our society.

I am Jackie Robinson is a biography picture book geared towards younger children. The cover of the book shows a boy playing baseball but there is so much more in the book. The story explains that Jackie Robinson was the only black child in his white neighborhood during a time when white people would call black people bad names. When Jackie was 8 he was attacked by an adult who threw rocks at him because he stood up for him self against his white daughter. Even though these types of things brought him down, he still found enjoyment in sports, but especially baseball. The issue with race followed him all the way through his baseball career but he still persevered and made it on a real team where he proved that black people can play just show more as well as white. The theme of this book is too stay strong and keep pushing through. I liked this book for children because it sent a very clear message beyond baseball. I also enjoyed that the information was interesting and would keep a reader needing to know what happens next. That is not always the case with biographies so I though the author did a great job. The illustrations were also vibrant and could tell story with out there being words. Because of the message being a strong and important one, I feel this book can be enjoyed by readers up to fourth grade, show less

I am Jackie Robinson by Brad Meltzer is a really good book. Not only does the children’s book biography talk about Jackie’s personal life, it also includes other important historical events. When Jackie’s mother was asked why Jackie’s middle name was Roosevelt, she says, “After president Teddy Roosevelt, he fought to make sure black people were treated the same as everyone else.” Through the story, the reader also reads about the racism that took place. For example, when Jackie was younger here was a “white’s only” pool. “At the local public pool in Brookside Park, you could only go swimming if you were white.” I think it’s important that these historical background events are also being exposed to students. show more Another reason I liked this book is because of the word choice. The author’s choice of words makes the reader feel like they can almost hear Jackie Robinson speak. For example, when he played his first professional baseball game the text says, “On April 18,1946 at 27 years old, I was given my shot.” Jackie Robinson is simply referring to the chance he was finally given to pay in a baseball game, but instead of simply saying that, the author uses words to make it sound more like Jackie himself. Finally, I liked this book because of its illustrations. The characters and settings are depicted in an anime cartoon style with speech bubbles. For example, after Jackie’s first game where he got on base four times, stole second base twice and scored four runs, the illustrations show the fans cheering with great excitement. Speech bubbles that say “Hooray, Jackie!” and “How does he do it!?” are also included to enhance the illustration. The big idea of this biography is to keep trying, new give up and don’t be discouraged just because of you race or gender. show less

I liked the book Jackie Robinson by Brad Meltzer for three reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style was unique and descriptive, especially for a children’s biography book. For example, “On April 18, 1946, at 27 years old, I was given my first shot. At Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, I played my first official game for the Montreal Royals….You better believe I was terrified. I didn’t want to let people down.” The writing is descriptive and informative as it tells the story about Jackie Robinson using specific factual information. However, the information is given in a unique way similar to a storybook. The book uses dialogue and literary devices to enhance the story especially for younger show more readers. Second, I liked the language of the story. The word choice was descriptive and engaging. For example, “Then at 3:04 P.M., in my first at bat I……was thrown out at first. “YER OUT” I was devastated.” The word choice used is descriptive and engaging as it gives the reader a visual of what is happening as if they were there. The word choice used where the pitcher is yelling “YER OUT” only emphasizes the situation being described. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. The illustrations were colorful, vibrant, and added an extra aesthetic appeal to the story. For example, “The next time I came up was in the third inning. There were two men on base. The pitcher decided on a fastball.” The illustration following this sentence was of Jackie Robinson standing at the base getting ready to hit the ball. It followed the written text very closely allowing the readers to visually see what was being described. The illustrations were hand-drawn and emphasized the character’s movements and facial expressions. The big idea of the story is that one should always strive to be the best they can be, no matter their race, color, or gender. show less

This short version of Jackie Robinson's biography is entertaining and inspirational. It starts out with Jack Roosevelt Robinson, named after Teddy Roosevelt, youngest of 5. At the age of 10 his family was the only black family on the block. He tells the story of one of his first possibly racist encounters with a little girl who lived close to him. She called him a name and he called her one back and her father and Jackie threw rocks at each other until the girl's mother came to break it up. Later on, his mother helped feed that man's family. Jackie loved all sports and when he attended UCLA, he was the 1st student to letter in 4 sports in the same season. Jackie joined the Army and wanted to play baseball, but black men were not allowed show more on the white men's teams. However on the April 18th, 1946, at 27 years old, Jackie got to play his first official game for the Montreal Warriors. Jackie ended up hitting a home run. While it many people still were not kind to him, he kept playing. The book ends with Jackie saying that it's okay to be afraid, but not to let it stop you.

Reaction: This was a very interesting book. This book is an easier read for younger children and it gives insight to what the social mindset was like in that time.

Extension: A way to extend this to the classroom is to include it in lessons during Black History Month perhaps a long with other biographies. show less

This is the second book in the 'Ordinary People Change the World' series I've read. I can't recommend them highly enough. The drawings are great, the history is well researched, and it's inspiring for both children and adults. Lovely books!

Another great book in Brad Meltzer's "I am" series. Its part text and part graphic format works so well...very entertaining for readers. The book has lots of interesting facts about Jackie Robinson that the reader may not have heard before, and the timeline and photographs of Jackie's life are great.
This book would be a powerful addition to a Black History Month unit. Also, it would be a wonderful way to reinforce positive character traits.