I Am Roberto Clemente (I Am #8)

I Am #8

by Jim Gigliotti

I was a baseball hero and an inspiring humanitarian. I am Roberto Clemente. A unique hero, Roberto Clemente is not only famous for his impressive baseball career, but also for his generous humanitarian efforts. Nearly 40 years ago, the same year he swung his 3,000th major league baseball hit, he died in an airplane accident on his way to deliver aid to earthquake victims. His heroics on the field earned him a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the first Latin American to be granted access. Just in time for Hispanic heritage month, learn all about this legend's life from his inspiring beginnings to his tragic end. This book will feature a full-color illustrated cover, one-color illustrations throughout, a detailed time line, introductions to other notable people from the story, a map, sidebars, and a top-ten list of important things to know about Roberto Clemente.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Sports, Baseball

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2013

About the author

Jim Gigliotti is a freelance writer who lives in Southern California with his wife and two children. A former editor at the National Football League, he has written more than two dozen books, mostly for young readers.

Reviews

[Will P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes the life of Roberto Clemente and his baseball career. It also talks about where he grew up in Puerto Rico. He was always trying his best and wanted to help people in need and help kids learn sports.

I think this was a very good book. This book was very interesting. I think that how he couldn't go to the same restaurants with his white teammates was not right. This didn't stop Roberto Clemente from being the best player in baseball.

[Travis Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot because it had baseball in it and I like baseball. The book was about how Roberto clemente grew up and how he made it to the majors. Roberto clemente every nigh that there was a baseball game in the summer league he would climb up a tree and watch the game and also one day he met one of his favorite players and the player let him carry is stuff. I would rate this book as a 4.

[Sarahi]

I am Roberto Clemente -Intermediate book

1. Remember how we read about the Negro Leagues and Jackie Robinson breaking the “Color Barrier” last week? Today we will be reading about another baseball player, who also had dark skin, but was Hispanic. As I read this story, I want you to be thinking how Roberto Clemente broke the “Color Barrier” in a different or similar way as Jackie Robinson. Also, this story is a biography, because Clemente is no longer alive, but I want you to listen and be able to tell me in what perspective is it written, such as first person, third, etc.

2. Opening moves used: ask children to make connections to a previously read text, provide background information, activate background knowledge, prompt the listeners to notice details.

3. The reason I chose this book is because my text set is biographies about important Hispanic people, and Clemente had a big impact in the world of baseball being one of the few “dark” Hispanic players in the Major League Baseball. In class we also studied Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, so this would be great to read after and compare how the two players influenced change in the MLB.

4. (2013, September 1). Booklist. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberto Clemente is most well-known for being the first Latin American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He wasn't the first Latino to play major league baseball in the US, but he was the first to be a true star. Aside from that I didn't know much more until I read this great little chapter book biography. Roberto gave a lot of himself to charity work and humanitarian acts around the world. In fact, he lost his life while traveling to offer aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This new biography series from Scholastic is perfect for 3rd graders on up and even reluctant older readers. The chapters are short and reader-friendly. The illustrations add to the overall information provided making the person more real to the reader. A great way to introduce historical figures to young readers.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Roberto Clemente is best-known for his feats on the baseball field as he led the Pittsburg Pirates to the World Series title twice, he is also known for his humanitarian acts. The first LAtin American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Clemente gave generously of his time and money to various causes, and even died in a plane crash on his way to bring aid to Nicaragua. Elementary students will enjoy the details about his upbringing and his passion for baseball as well as his total dedication to his sport. This brief biography provides insight into his personality and the challenges he faced upon arriving in the United States from Puerto Rico to play ball. I would have loved to have seen some photographs of this heroic man in the book.

[Mya J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this author did a very nice job explaining how his life was. He added a lot in there about Roberto's batting averages and how he did at the end of every season. Jim, the author, talked also about these golden gloves that Roberto had gotten. He had 12 golden gloves. Jim also talked about how Roberto got married, to Vera. They had 3 kids, all of them were boys. Roberto also went back to his home town after he was out of baseball and there was a 6.2 earthquake. Puerto Rico was in such a need for shelter, food, and water that Roberto and a few other people filled a little plane with food and water. They overloaded the plane and when they took off he knew they did and tried to go back but it was to late. The plane went down in the ocean and him and everyone in the plane died.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roberto Clemente is rightfully known as one of baseball's all time great players. He has earned even more renown as a great Latino player, the first Latino to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition, he was a kind, compassionate man who was heavily involved in philanthropic outreach.

Lots of sepia toned drawings to add interest, although a few actual photographs would have been a nice addition. Bolded vocabulary words are explained in a glossary in the back. There is also a bibliography, index, list of places to visit, and two Top 10 lists in the back.

A good, thorough sports biography but nothing exceptional or outstanding about it.

[Ms. Mielke's Class Make sure you post how your sheets tell you to!!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Roberto Clemente is a very interested book. Every person knows about Babe Ruth but not everybody knows about Roberto Clemente. He was just as successful and he was from Cuba which people in U.S.A didn’t like either. He got so many awards and things. This book will take you past Babe Ruth and into Roberto Clemente. -MM

Its a great book. Its about a baseball player and he is latino. He is very talented and it is a special book. LJ

I thought that the book was grate. The sad part about the book is that he dies at the end, but he is in the hall of fame. NA

[Patrick G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberto Clemente was an Latin American Major Legue Baseball player. he wasn't the first black baseball player but the first Latin American one. This book told the story of a boy who came from each 7 siblings to one of the best baseball players. The athor wrote this book to inform us who Roberto was and what impact he left on baseball. Roberto was one of 7 siblings from a family with enough to get by. Sometimes when he wanted to play baseball with his friends he would have to use tree branches for bats. Yet because of his passion for baseball he became famous.

[Colby L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book. I only gave this book 3 stars because it was really hard to follow. One good thing is that this book has a lot of interesting facts in it. For example: did you know that Roberto Clemente is the first and the only person to hit an inside the park home-run? The ball bounced off of the foul pole! I would recommend this book to baseball fans and anyone who likes non-fiction. This is a good book!

[Austin C · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would you like to not be able to eat with your team because of your race?My opinion of the book was great because it helps you understand how things were back then and how different it is now a days. For example he couldn't go into the same restaurants because of his race.My recommendation for this book is that if you are a person that loves baseball and wants to know what it was like back then then i would totally read it!

[Bryce Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved Its It Was Interesting. It Really Explained His Life And How He Got In To The Major League Baseball. I Loved How They Played Baseball In Th Great Depression. it Was a Tin Can With A Tree Branch. I Also thought It Was Funny When he would climb trees to watch a baseball game

[Greg Henning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important book for my students to read. Many students knew of the impact and legacy of Jackie Robinson for the black community, but have no idea of the importance of Roberto Clemente on the Latin community.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a great book if you like baseball. The genre was non-fiction. I liked the part when Roberto hit more home runs at the away games than home games.this is such a good book.

[Rhianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great biography and i really liked it.

[McKenzie Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book biography introduces young readers to baseball legend Roberto Clemente. It covers his childhood in Puerto Rico, his rise to Major League Baseball, and his incredible athletic achievements. Clemente is shown as both an extraordinary athlete and a caring community hero whose legacy continues today. This book portrays an interesting illustration of cartoons throughout the book, but with no color.

This book and all of the "I am" books are really good at practicing simple research on people of the past but can be interesting to students today. With reading this particular book, as an extension activity I would have the students make Hero trait badges and discuss what a hero is and what made Roberto a hero, then as a class we would create a hero wall to display for the rest of our school to see.

[Heather Shembarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quick read biography on the life of Roberto Clemente is a must for any baseball fan. It showcases the life of a very good man who cared about people and had a strong desire to help those in need. He never forgot his humble beginnings or the world he lived in that was full of people in need. Roberto had time for his fans and would willingly sign his autograph over and over, read his fan mail and respond, and even take time out of his busy schedule to make frequent visits to the sick in hospitals of all the cities he played. Even in death, Clemente was doing what he loved-helping others. His untimely death was truly a tragedy for all of mankind, but even through his death, his humanitarian actions continue to live on to this day in his name.

[Nathan Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

When i was reading this book, it inspired me that whatever you have you can do something with it. In this story about Roberto Clemente he was a good Baseball player . He was in the hall of fame and he is famous . It was sad that he died. In this story, I learned so many facts about how he used to play baseball all the time and he was a great baseball player.Hia history when he was small was sad because his younger sister died in a fire . I think it gave him the power to work hard. I also learned that a lot of scouts like how he played. Then he was playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

[Tristen Carreon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informational about Roberto Clemente. It talked about Roberto as a child playing baseball almost every day! We start learning about his dream of being a professional baseball player and joining a team. Later in his life his dreams become true and he joins the Pirates and many more. So, if you like learning about true and historical people give this book a read.

[Brent Isaacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Am Roberto Clemente by Jim Gigliotti was published June 30,2013. This is a good biography that takes place from the 1930s trough the 1970s. Roberto Clemente was born August 18, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He grew up playing baseball on the street with a rubber ball in a broomstick as a bat. He started playing at 8:00 in the morning and he ended at 8:00 at night when his parents told him he needed to eat dinner. He loved baseball growing up,and his love for baseball wouldn't stop anytime soon. As he got older he became better and better at the game of baseball. Roberto Clemente was a black Hispanic which meant it was very tough for him to make a good life in America and to make it into the major leagues. He made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. He was not the best player on the team nor the worst player on the team but he still a lot of work ahead of him to get better. He worked hard in the off-season and got better and became a leader on this team. Roberto was a great player on the field but when he was off the field he was very caring for other people, and a very nice person with great character. Most people know him for his amazing baseball skills but his teammates and coaches all knew him for his great personality.
I would recommend this book to all ages of people that especially for people that love the game of baseball. I would read it four out of five stars. Roberto Clemente was a great person on the field and off the field which is a great personality to have.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It enjoyed reading this book. I am a fan of baseball, my whole family plays so I am constantly watching baseball, so I know of a lot of players. I didn't know who this guy was until now and I'm very glad I learned now. Roberto was a very generous and caring baseball player. During one game he noticed a small boy crying and the next time he got the ball he brought it over there to him so he'd feel better. Along with those two traits he was also a very good baseball player. He had a .400 batting average during his spring training in Pittsburgh. Which of you know anything about batting averages you'd understand how amazing that was. When Roberto died it was tragic to everyone, he had broken so many records and was humble and had a outstandingly nice personality. He was going to be missed. Still today there is a statue of Roberto in memory of him. I would recommend this book to anyone, it was highly interesting to learn about him and his life.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book. I'm not a huge nonfiction fan, but this one was interesting. I liked how they talked about his culture a lot. It helped me to understand the character better. I didn't even know who he was until I read this book. I was really surprised when he wasn't allowed to play on the team that much. I didn't know why. Then, once the other baseball coach said that he's not playing because he is too good, it made sense. He was a very generous guy. I liked how he helped so many people. I was really surprised when he died at the end of the book. This is a really great story, and I request it for all readers.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about Roberto because I learned a lot not just about baseball but about Latino players too. Roberto is a American Latino baseball player, he has been playing baseball for almost his whole life. When he was younger and in his home state he would play Baseball with using just a rolled up rag for a ball and the end of a broom or a tree branch. He would play baseball all day long without eating or drinking if his mom didn't make him. The sad part was that his people just had a earthquake and he went to go give them supply's when his helicopter crashed and he and a few others died. My favorite part was when he won a baseball hall of fame award.

[Nick P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roberto Clemente is a kid he loves to play baseball and every day he play with his friends he live in Puerto Rico. When he plays baseball he usually uses only a pop can and a broom stick with hat would be very hard to do. One day a baseball player saw him looking in to my he stadium were the baseball players practice so he asked him to carry his bags although he didn't need help he was just sneaking him in. Then he joined little league baseball and he is to good to play.then into the big leagues

[Jakob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because he was a person that no one really know. But to read this it is so interesting. To read how he used a stick and some cans to play baseball I've tried that before and it is hard like kick and fifty yard field goal. But to see how the coach just invited him in to the stadium and that's how it started and then he goes on the play for the Pittsburgh Pirates one of my favorite teams. That's why I loved this book.

[Summertime Readaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in Spanish over several class periods for about 5 minutes twice a week. It was a very informative read that was easily accessible to even the least confident readers. Lots of great information about Roberto the humanitarian and human being as well as his impact on the US and Latinos in baseball today.

It is written for elementary age kids and is non-fiction. Works well for HS students learning Spanish.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked This book'' Roberto Clemente '' because it was very interesting. This book talks about how that Roberto Clemente was not only a amazing Baseball player but he was also a great Humanitarian. But sadly he died in an airplane crash to deliver aid to the earthquake victoms. He was also the first Latin American to be put on the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[Grace H]

I didn't really like this book that much. It was kinda boring because I am not really into to baseball so I didn't understand some of it. Roberto sounded like a really nice guy. It was sad the way he died because he was going to go help people but he died in the process. I wouldn't recommend this book to a friend unless they were looking for a quick read.

[Esteban Caropresi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an amazing story about Roberto Clemente. I thought he was just good at baseball. Turns out he is generous humanitarian efforts. I feel bad that he died on his flight to aid an earthquake.

[JumpStreet69 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was good. It basically explained his baseball career and the fact that he was a kind guy. I thought it was good that they explained it from his early life until he died. I would recommend this if you want a quick read or if you like baseball