Reading a library book about the old Negro Baseball Leagues and the talented men who played in them gives Joe Joe the strength and self-esteem to do something difficult.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This promising if not wholly successful paper-over-board volume launches Joe Joe in the City, a series that aims to spotlight issues specific to urban African-American children. In the opener, Joe Joe is mistaken for a member of a gang of kids that has ransacked a white man's store. Shaken, he takes refuge in a library book ab0ut the Negro Baseball Leagues. Inspired by the example of ball player Cool Papa Bell as much as by the prayer he offers up at his father's suggestion, he returns to the store to resolve his anger at the proprietor. The text at times becomes mired in extraneous detail and lengthy exposition, and the art lacks polish; however, the volume addresses a genuine need. Families who face difficulties like Joe Joe's and who draw on faith to surmount them will welcome the reinforcement this book offers. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 1-4-Coincidence puts Joe Joe in the wrong place at the wrong time. After getting a book from the library about the Negro Baseball Leagues, he goes to the store for his grandmother and sees boys from a local gang leaving it. He goes in and starts to clean up the mess they left, but is accused by the white owner of being a participant in the destruction. Shocked at being accused of something he hasn't done, he runs home in tears. His father suggests that his son talk to Mr. Booth and tell him the truth. After reading about Cool Papa, a baseball player who came back to the U.S. from Latin America to play baseball despite the hardships and poor treatment, the child finds the courage to face Mr. Booth, who apologizes to him. Full-page, full-color illustrations on the right face a text on pastel-colored pages. The art is not well executed, and occasionally contradicts the narrative. Look to Gavin Curtis's The Bat Boy and His Violin (S & S, 1998) for a more satisfying tale of an African-American boy and his father who manages a Negro League team.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
Jean Alicia Elster, B.A., J.D., is the author of the novel Who's Jim Hines?--for ages 8 and older--published by Wayne State University Press. Released in August 2008, it is now in its second printing. Who's Jim Hines? was selected as one of the Library of Michigan's 2009 Michigan Notable Books. In addition, the Michigan Reading Association has placed Who's Jim Hines? on the Great Lakes Great Books Award 2009-2010 ballot for grades 4-5. Who's Jim Hines? was also a ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Award Finalist in the category of Juvenile Fiction.
Elster is also the author of the children's book series "Joe Joe in the City," published by Judson Press. The first volume in that series, Just Call Me Joe Joe, was released in October 2001 and is now in its second printing. The remaining volumes are: I Have A Dream, Too! (May, 2002), I'll Fly My Own Plane (September, 2002), and I'll Do the Right Thing (January, 2003). She was awarded the 2002 Governors' Emerging Artist Award by ArtServe Michigan in recognition of the series. I'll Do the Right Thing was awarded the 2004 Atlanta Daily World Atlanta Choice Award in the category of children's books.
A professional writer, Elster has edited several books including The Death Penalty and The Outbreak of the Civil War (Greenhaven Press, an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc.), as well as Building Up Zion's Walls: Ministry for Empowering the African American Family and Playbook for Christian Manhood: 12 Key Plays for Black Teen Boys (Judson Press). In addition, her essays have appeared in national publications including Ms., World Vision, Black Child, and Christian Science Sentinel magazines. She also collaborated in the preparation of the manuscript for Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialog with Today's Youth, by Rosa Parks (Lee and Low, 1996), which was honored with four awards including the NAACP Image Award and the Teachers' Choice Award.
In 2001, 2003, and 2005, in recognition of outstanding work, Elster was awarded residencies at the internationally acclaimed Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois. With these awards, she became one of a select group of artists-in-residence chosen annually by the foundation from across the U.S. and many other countries.
Formerly an attorney, Elster is the founder and president of Write Word, Inc. (incorporated in 1994). She lives in Detroit, Michigan with her husband, daughter, and son.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully and Sensitively Illustrated: A Must Read,
By "mrstlfoster" (Calverton, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Just Call Me Joe Joe (Joe Joe in the City) (Hardcover)
The sweet, tender illustrations of this heart breaking--then heart healing--story make it really come alive for children and adults alike.Nicole Tadgell's characters arouse a tender affinity for the lovable protagonist Joe Joe as well as the assumptive shopkeeper: we see anger, regret, conciliation clear as the written text. The story is a fine lesson in courage and character for all races. And children interested in baseball will be intrigued by the vintage photography of past baseball heroes, learning a great deal of the history of the game in tandem with the history of African Americans in the 20th century.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story of moral conviction and justice for young readers,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Just Call Me Joe Joe (Joe Joe in the City) (Hardcover)
Just Call Me Joe Joe begins the biblical passage John 10:3, "...and the sheep shall hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name." Written especially for African-American children ages 6-10 by Jean Alicia Elster and nicely illustrated in color by Nicole Tadgell, Just Call Me Joe Joe is the story of a 10-year-old African-American boy who must deal with a shop owner who mistakenly assumes that Joe Joe was part of the gang who just trashed the store. Joe Joe must find the courage and spirit to return and convince the shop owner of the truth. Just Call Me Joe Joe is a highly recommended and strong story of moral conviction and justice for young readers.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quick, Informative and Entertaining,
This review is from: Just Call Me Joe Joe (Joe Joe in the City) (Hardcover)
Just Call Me Joe Joe by Jean Alicia Elster is a very quick, informative and entertaining read. The first of a 3-book series, this title is the story of Joe Joe, an African-American boy who loves to read. In this particular selection, Joe Joe is introduced to the world of the Negro Baseball League. While this book is informative from a historical perspective, the storyline also affords children lessons about hygiene, materialism, and meeting adversity.
Just Call Me Joe Joe is also illustrated very well. The pictures are very helpful for ELL students. I highly recommend this selection for a Black History children's selection, or just to add to any school or library bookshelf. Review by Tavares S. Carney
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