Champions on the Bench [Hardcover]

Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Leonard Jenkins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

In 1955, the Cannon Street YMCA chartered the only African American Little League in South Carolina. That same year, sixty-one all-white teams pulled out of the South Carolina Little League State Tournament so they would not have to play the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars. This story, inspired by the true events of that time, follows one young ballplayer, Cleveland, through that fateful season.

Cleveland dreams of playing baseball like his heroes Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. He believes he will get that chance when he makes the Cannon Street All-Star team. But things don’t go as planned when Cleveland and his teammates find out they are not allowed to play in the tournament despite their talent and hard work during the season. Yet even in the face of such prejudice, the Cannon Street All-Stars find a way to make their families and coaches proud.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–4—It's 1955, major league baseball is newly integrated, and young Cleveland signs up to play on one of the four teams in the Cannon Street YMCA Little League-the only colored Little League in South Carolina. Earning a spot as pitcher, he is chosen at season's end for the league's all-star squad, which will compete in the state tournament. But the athletes' hopes are crushed when all of the state's 61 white teams refuse to play the black team, eliminating them from the tournament and a chance at the World Series. The National Little League invites Cleveland's team to Williamsport, PA, to watch the event from the stands, but it is a bittersweet experience for the boys. At September's end, Cleveland and his father cheer as Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers win the World Series. A two-page author's note explains that the tale is based on true events and includes team photos. Done in pencil, acrylic, and spray paint, Jenkins's color-saturated illustrations imbue the text with warmth, passion, and nostalgia. This is a powerful story, well told. By placing one boy's segregated baseball summer in the context of an integrated World Series, Weatherford gives readers a blazing picture of our country in the early struggles to abolish segregation. A first choice.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In 1955, 61 white Little League teams in South Carolina refused to play the African American Cannon Street YMCA team. Cannon Street won the state championship but couldn't advance to Little League playoffs because the team won by forfeit. Nevertheless, the Little League invited the team to watch the league's World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Chants of "Let them play" arose from the stands, but the ruling stuck. Weatherford lightly fictionalizes the story, based on one boy's experience, but the tale never quite takes off, the dialogue is stilted, and the message outweighs the story. Jenkins' dramatic paintings, however, made with pencil, acrylic, and spray paint, capture the joy of baseball and the boys' frustration. An author's note explains the historical background and shows photos of the Cannon Street team then and in 2002, when it returned to Williamsport. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (December 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803729871
• ISBN-13: 978-0803729872
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to teach history to kids, June 1, 2007

By 

Kathy O. "suzanne312" (Illinois, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Champions on the Bench (Hardcover)

I wish the world my son needs to learn about didn't include things as ugly as racial discrimination--but since it does, this book will be a great way to illustrate it in a context that he'll be able to understand (Little League baseball). I'm glad I happened across this important book.