Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 [Hardcover]

Charles R. Smith Jr. (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 3, 2012 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 1330L (What's this?)

Meet Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and other baseball heroes in this unique radio broadcast reenactment of a legendary All-Star Game, marking a pivotal time in sports history.

1934, Chicago. Come step back in time to witness the best of the best Negro League players take each other on in one of the most fascinating All-Star ballgames in American history.

Using a unique radio broadcast transcript, Coretta Scott King Award Winner Charles R. Smith, Jr. has recreated this momentous event with a lively play-by-play retelling of the second annual Negro League East-West Game. Meet legendary players like Satchel Paige, Turkey Stearness, and Cool Pappa Bell, hang in the stands with the fans, and experience this exhilarating untold, true story—with a lyrical twist.

Stars in the Shadows is a must-have for any baseball aficionado or anyone interested in forgotten history. Beautifully packaged and with incredible black-and-white illustrations by Frank Morrison, this is a rare and extraordinary book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Baseball fans will feel they are at the ballpark when they read this account of the second annual Negro Leagues’ East-West game. The illustrations bring to mind the past and an Author’s Note explains the origin of the game. Fan favorites included Cool Papa Bell, Jimmie Crutchfeld, Oscar Charleston, Stachel Paige, Turkey Stearnes, and Mule Suttles. This book would be a wonderful read-aloud, as students will get the feel of the broadcast even more.”—Library Media Connection

“Writing in snappy rhymed couplets, Smith delivers a play-by-play, inning-by-inning account of the second annual East-West Classic, held in Chicago in 1934, an all-star face-off between the best players from the Negro League. Working in graphite, Morrison contributes full-bleed and spot illustrations of dynamic, athletic players in motion.”—Publishers Weekly

“Use this book as an exciting complement to Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship.”—Booklist

About the Author

Charles R. Smith Jr. is an acclaimed poet and the Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator of My People, a picture book based on the poem by Langston Hughes. He is also the illustrator of If, and he won the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for his book Twelve Rounds To Glory. He grew up in California and attended the Brooks Institute of Photography. A magazine and book cover photographer in addition to a picture book creator, Charles now lives with his wife and son in Poughkeepsie, New York. Visit him on the web at CharlesRSmithJr.com.

Frank Morrison is the illustrator of many books, including Miz Mosetta by Brenda C. Roberts, for which he received the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent, Out of the Ball Park by Alex Rodriguez, and Long Shot by Chris Paul.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689866380
• ISBN-13: 978-0689866388
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles R. Smith Jr. is an award-winning children's book author, photographer and poet with over thirty books to his credit. His awards include a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration for his photographs accompanying the Langston Hughes poem, "My People" and a Coretta Scott King Honor Author Award for his biography on Muhammad Ali, "Twelve Rounds to Glory." Many of his books have also garnered reluctant reader awards, proving that kids that don't like to read, do like to read his books.

Charles combines his passions of writing and photography with a variety of subjects that spark his interest. Even though his early books such as "Rimshots", "Hoop Kings" and "Hoop Queens focus on basketball, Charles has shown the ability to apply his talents to a variety of subjects, including diversity with "I Am America" and "I Am the World", Greek mythology with "The Mighty 12", how slaves built the White House with "Brick by Brick" and Negro League baseball with "Stars in the Shadows" to name a few. His poetry has also been used to paint unique biographical portraits of personal heroes such as the aforementioned Ali, boxer Jack Johnson and soon, guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Of the distinctive niche Charles fills with his books, he notes, "I want to show students, particularly boys, that there are many ways to pursue their interests, no matter what they may be."

To hear excerpts from his books and learn more about Charles R. Smith Jr, visit his website at www.charlesrsmithjr.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 January 7, 2013

By Brigitte Powell

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book for my grandson who plays baseball and is interested in the history of this
Very prompt service. I had made up my mind only a few days before Christmas and yet the
book arrived on time. Thank you very much. Very prompt delivery - hope my grandson likes
to read it. Haven't heard from him yet

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved by an 8 year old December 29, 2012

By D. Mannino

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I would recommend this book to my friends. If you like baseball you should try this book. I liked the play by play of the game