Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man

Although I have never been a fan of baseball, this story touched my heart and captured my attention. I was drawn to tears from the compelling text that conveys the strength, determination, selflessness of a baseball hero. Luckily, the illustrations are just as powerful and visually enhance the experience of this book. My favorite part is that they did not sugar coat his disease and even use medical language to describe his condition. Although some of the terms may require an adult to explain, it keeps the story very real.

Retelling:

Author David A. Adler pays homage to the legendary baseball hall-of-famer, Lou Gehrig, in this reverent biography. Lou became a baseball player despite his parents hopes that he would pursue a career in accounting and it paid off when he was drafted by the Yankees.
He had many accomplishments during his career. He earned his nickname "Iron Horse" because he never missed a game for 2,130 games, despite injuries, and he was voted MVP in 1927 even over his teammate Babe Ruth. In 1939 he was voted into the baseball hall of fame.
But it is Lou's character that David Adler concentrates on, highlighting his modesty, and gratitude. Throughout his career, Lou displayed humility. And, even in the face of a fatal disease Lou remained show more thankful.

Thoughts and Feelings: Gherig's story is a shining example of how modesty can endear you to the public. I don't, however, always believe stories that make men seem like heroes. I think we're more complicated than that, and I would venture to guess, Lou Gehrig may have had more complicated than this book makes him out to be. I would be interested to find out more. show less

There are two reasons why I really enjoyed this book. First, the story that it tells about Lou Gehrig is very touching. The plot goes through Lou Gehrig's life, beginning when he was a young boy dedicated to his school work, going through into his college years, then when he played for the New York Yankees, and up until he was too sick to continue on. I also like how the story included quotes from Lou Gehrig, because this helped to portray what a good man he was. One quote that is included is from the time when the New York Yankees dedicated July 4th, 1939 to honor Gehrig and he spoke publicly to his fans. He said, "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man show more on the face of this Earth." I think that this enhances the story and makes it a more emotional and touching piece. The big idea in this story is that it is important to appreciate the good things that we have in life, instead of focusing on the difficult situations we have been dealt. show less

If you have a student who love shorts or baseball and you need to fulfill a biography requirement, this nonfiction book about Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig is a great, go-to book. It is relatively short and on a fourth grade Accelerated Reader level. Through this book, students learn about dedication, determination, illness, and legacy.

Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man, focuses more on the later life of the MVP baseball player. He was parents of immigrants. His mom pushed education and a good career but baseball was his passion. Lou had a great career with the Yankees until his health declined from his disease. The later parts of the book highlight how he handled the last parts of his life with grace, dignity, and gratefulness. The way this book is written is very easy to understand so I think it'll be suitable for younger audiences. This would be a great book obviously for students interested in baseball but also ones having a tough time. Even though Lou was sick he didn't feel bad for himself.

Anyone who knows baseball knows who Lou Gehrig is, but they may not know his story.
This book explores the life of a New York Yankee who never missed a game, in fact, he played 2130 consecutive games. Lou considered himself the "Luckiest Man Alive." Even when he was diagnosed in 1939 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, he never let that affect him.
Lou never let his disease stop him from living his best. While reading this book, his perseverance and optimism were clearly shown.

I thought this was a great book. I liked this book because of the illustrations and because of the incorporation of real quotes. The illustrations were interesting because they were all drawn with simplicity, except for facial expressions. The figures themselves all lacked detail, however all the faces showed great emotion. I liked the page where Babe Ruth hugged Lou Gehrig at his speech to his fans of his illness. This embrace really allowed the reader to connect to Lou Gehrig. I also loved that the author incorporated quotes that Lou actually said. When asked of his amazing record, Lou said, "That's just the way I am." The use of real quotes gives the reader a better feel for Lou and his life story. The main message I took from this show more is that Lou Gehrig was an incredible baseball player who lived a meaningful life that was ended short because of a deadly disease. show less