The Home-Run King (Scraps of Time) [Paperback]

Patricia McKissack (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 24, 2009 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Scraps of Time (Book 1937)

Award-winning author Patricia C. McKissack?s next story about one black family?s history?perfect for Black History Month!

Brothers Tank and Jimbo Turner love sneaking into Nashville?s Sulphur Dell Ballpark to watch the superstars of Negro League baseball. When Josh Gibson, the famous home-run hitter for the Homestead Grays, bunks at their house, the boys think they?re one step away from heaven. With warmth and humor, the fourth installment of Patricia C. McKissack?s family saga brings to life an era of all-black baseball for readers who may not know that Major League teams were once restricted only to white players.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This book begins like others in McKissack’s Scraps of Time series, with the Webster cousins finding a keepsake in their grandmother Gee’s attic. In this case, it’s a baseball signed by Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, leading Gee to tell the story of Tank and Jimbo Turner. In 1937 Nashville, Tank and Jimbo love baseball but have no one save each other to play with. When the Homestead Grays come to town, they sneak into the stands to watch their hero, Josh Gibson, play. Even more exciting, though, is when their house becomes a stop on the “chitlin’ circuit,” which provided homes for traveling Negro League players, and Gibson himself stays with them while the team is in town. The two brothers learn much about the game from the great player, and more about life when they discover that pure idolization can lead to troublesome results. Purposeful, yes, but also a good child’s-eye introduction to baseball’s segregated past. James’ steady black-and-white illustrations add a welcome depth. Grades 3-6. --Ian Chipman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Patricia C. McKissack lives in Chesterfield, Missouri.

Gordon C. James lives in Charlottesville, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (December 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014241459X
• ISBN-13: 978-0142414590
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,288,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious history series, June 9, 2011

By 

dpatterson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Home-Run King (Scraps of Time) (Paperback)

The Home-Run King is a wonderful read for elementary readers of history or fiction. The premise of this series is simple but really enticing. Contemporary children find "scraps of time" in their attic that lead back to family stories. The stories tie into highlights of African-American history. This one is about Josh Gibson as the fearsome slugger in the Negro Leagues. What is more intriguing than what MIGHT be hiding up in an attic? The story is satisfying and should appeal to a broad range of readers, all ethnicities.