Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Continuing on my journey into biographical comics for younger readers. This one crossed my desk and I couldn't resist! Satchel Paige is at once a baseball superstar and an enigma. He apparently pitched professionally into his 60s, though nobody knows, because he never disclosed (or possibly never knew) his true age. This graphic biography is actually narrated by a Black man from Alabama who managed to figure out Paige in his one and only at-bat against him. The story is largely about that narrator, Emmet, who is at the mercy of Jim Crow and his white employers, landowners who have no interest in improving the conditions of their Black employees and neighbours. When Satchel Paige's Negro All-Star team comes to their town to play against show more those white twins, who had a brief career in baseball, Emmet finds himself reliving his past, and examining the man he has become. Every story about the inequality faced by African Americans during Jim Crow wrenches my heart, and this one is no different. The illustrations are stark but rich, not unlike the southern culture they portray. There are disturbing elements here, but it is a story every child should know. show less

Only tangentially about Satchel Paige at all -- he's not the main character and it's really a lot more about Jim Crow and early baseball. Good content, but not what I was expecting, and it just felt like a bait and switch.

Leaving home as a young man, the narrator of this fictionalized tale is full of dreams of stardom. As a baseball player, he makes far more than his sharecropper neighbors. However, blowing out his knee in a game against Satchel Paige, he is forced to return home to the cotton fields. Years later, Paige comes to play an exhibition game against the local white landowners. It is through this game that the narrator regains the pride that has been slowly leached from him.

This is a truly excellent graphic novel. The sparsely colored illustrations work well with the material. By putting the narrative in the hands of someone other than Paige, Strum shows us what a miracle Paige's success really was, and places him in historical context without show more becoming dry or preachy. show less

Leaving home as a young man, the narrator of this fictionalized tale is full of dreams of stardom. As a baseball player, he makes far more than his sharecropper neighbors. However, blowing out his knee in a game against Satchel Paige, he is forced to return home to the cotton fields. Years later, Paige comes to play an exhibition game against the local white landowners. It is through this game that the narrator regains the pride that has been slowly leached from him.

This is a truly excellent graphic novel. The sparsely colored illustrations work well with the material. By putting the narrative in the hands of someone other than Paige, Strum shows us what a miracle Paige's success really was, and places him in historical context without show more becoming dry or preachy. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) show less

We have the opportunity to capture a snippet of the life of Satchel Paige's life in the Negro Leagues through the eyes of a one time baseball player, now share cropper. The story begins when a young baseball player in the Negro League, Emmet, faces pitcher Satchel Paige and gets a hit. As he slides into home plate he damages his knee and he must go back home to be a share cropper. Emmet tells the story of life during the time of Jim Crow laws and gives us a snapshot of Paige's life on the road playing baseball before the major league teams were integrated.

The highlight of the book tells the tale of a game between Satchel Pages negro team and a white team - the Tuckwilla All-Stars. Emmett brings his son, Emmet Jr., to see the great show more pitcher. Paige doesn't come in until the middle of the game, but when he does he takes charge. Paige's fastball and curveball made him a favorite among both black and white fans.

While the title and many scenes focus on Satchel Paige, this is also a story about the difficulties of being African American in the early 1900's. Baseball players made a better living than most, but the conditions under which they played were difficult. The images, drawn in black, white, and green add to this well told story. show less

Because this book's primary focus is not on the actual life and career of Satchel Paige, the title could be viewed as misleading. Due to its graphic format, this book will especially appeal to reluctant readers. I found the subject matter to be interesting and enlightening. However, it may be better suited to upper elementary school or middle school students. This book does a very credible job of exposing the Jim Crow prejudice of that sad era in our country's history. Including it in a classroom's or library's Black History unit would help the instructor graph the progress that has been made thus far in our country's adherence to its original proclamation that all people are created equal. The graphics have a black and white, show more historical feel to them and therefore compliment the story very well. show less

This graphic novel is a piece of historical fiction concerning the black baseball player Satchel Paige. The story highlights the life of all blacks at the time, and what someone like Paige meant for the era. It is extremely moving and successful at communicating this. I loved this book!!!!!!!!