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Pride of Puerto Rico: The Life of Roberto Clemente
The great right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente was proud of his family, his native Puerto Rico, and his ability to play baseball. “Baseball fans will welcome this book because of the fast-paced action, but the temper of the man and his concern for human beings will leave a lasting impression on the younger reader.”-- The Horn Book
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
7 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Paul Robert Walker
33 books7 followersI was born in Oak Park, Illinois—just like Ernest Hemingway, only later.
I’ve been saying this in biographies for a long time, and it sounds pretty good. Ernest Hemingway is big stuff, and how many authors are born in Oak Park, Illinois?
Yet recently I was taken to task during a visit to the Fresno area, where two—count them two—separate individuals pinned me down with grueling interrogations involving specific details, places, and people in Oak Park, Illinois. I admitted to them as I admit to you on the World Wide Web: I know absolutely nothing about Oak Park, Illinois.
I was born in Oak Park Hospital, but we lived in a neighboring town called River Grove. And we moved from there when I was a year and a half. I take my literary connections where I find them.
We moved a lot in my early years, four times before I turned eleven, for a total of five places, all in the Chicago area. My Dad died in place number four, which was a townhouse in south Chicago, across the street from the Chicago Skyway, now Interstate 90. I counted trucks on the Skyway when we first moved in, but I stopped counting trucks when my father died.
I was nine, and it was November 1962, a year before the JFK assassination changed America forever. I still associate my father’s death with the death of JFK, and throw the Cuban missile crisis into the mix. It was a pivotal time for me, for my generation, and for our nation—an end to innocence and the beginning of an exciting yet challenging era of social turmoil.
My mother moved us to Evanston, a tree-shaded suburb just north of Chicago, where she got a job as a 3rd grade teacher. She later found a new career as an adjustment teacher (similar to a school counselor) in the Chicago schools. I grew up surrounded by teachers, who discussed education until they were blue in the face—which didn't turn me blue personally, but did make me believe that education was pretty important.
Evanston was a cultured place, home of Northwestern University, and I got my first taste of theater as an 8th grade extra in a Northwestern production of Don Quixote starring Peter Strauss, who later went on to mini-series stardom in Rich Man, Poor Man. On the closing night, Peter was so sick he couldn’t perform, so his understudy stepped into the starring role, with the understudy’s understudy stepping in for him and on down the line until I rose from the ranks of faceless extras and took the demanding role of Second Mule Skinner—which meant I got to mumble something like, “Move on, there!” I was hooked.
I continued acting, started singing, and had my first short story published at Evanston Township High School, which at that time was rated the number one public high school in America (by whomever rates these things.) I studied acting for a year at Boston University School of Fine Arts, and when I decided that I wanted a broader education, I transferred to Occidental College in Los Angeles, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B. in Anglo-American literature. Just before graduation, I won third place in a short story contest and received a check for the whopping amount of $20. It was the first time I was ever paid for my writing and it felt good.
After college, I taught English for six years at a Chassidic Yeshiva in West Hollywood, while playing in a rock band and writing for an alternative weekly newspaper. I started writing for the newspaper after I won a story contest with a tall tale about a guy who loses his triplex on the beach during a game of darts with the devil. It was called "Darts with Mr. D," and the paper presented me with a princely check for $100—a 500% increase over my college contest award. Not only that, they asked me to keep writing for them, only—get this—they wanted actual journalism! I did what I could and had lots of fun doing it.
I got my big break when I answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times that said, “Writers Wanted.” I thought it was some weird scam but decided t
I’ve been saying this in biographies for a long time, and it sounds pretty good. Ernest Hemingway is big stuff, and how many authors are born in Oak Park, Illinois?
Yet recently I was taken to task during a visit to the Fresno area, where two—count them two—separate individuals pinned me down with grueling interrogations involving specific details, places, and people in Oak Park, Illinois. I admitted to them as I admit to you on the World Wide Web: I know absolutely nothing about Oak Park, Illinois.
I was born in Oak Park Hospital, but we lived in a neighboring town called River Grove. And we moved from there when I was a year and a half. I take my literary connections where I find them.
We moved a lot in my early years, four times before I turned eleven, for a total of five places, all in the Chicago area. My Dad died in place number four, which was a townhouse in south Chicago, across the street from the Chicago Skyway, now Interstate 90. I counted trucks on the Skyway when we first moved in, but I stopped counting trucks when my father died.
I was nine, and it was November 1962, a year before the JFK assassination changed America forever. I still associate my father’s death with the death of JFK, and throw the Cuban missile crisis into the mix. It was a pivotal time for me, for my generation, and for our nation—an end to innocence and the beginning of an exciting yet challenging era of social turmoil.
My mother moved us to Evanston, a tree-shaded suburb just north of Chicago, where she got a job as a 3rd grade teacher. She later found a new career as an adjustment teacher (similar to a school counselor) in the Chicago schools. I grew up surrounded by teachers, who discussed education until they were blue in the face—which didn't turn me blue personally, but did make me believe that education was pretty important.
Evanston was a cultured place, home of Northwestern University, and I got my first taste of theater as an 8th grade extra in a Northwestern production of Don Quixote starring Peter Strauss, who later went on to mini-series stardom in Rich Man, Poor Man. On the closing night, Peter was so sick he couldn’t perform, so his understudy stepped into the starring role, with the understudy’s understudy stepping in for him and on down the line until I rose from the ranks of faceless extras and took the demanding role of Second Mule Skinner—which meant I got to mumble something like, “Move on, there!” I was hooked.
I continued acting, started singing, and had my first short story published at Evanston Township High School, which at that time was rated the number one public high school in America (by whomever rates these things.) I studied acting for a year at Boston University School of Fine Arts, and when I decided that I wanted a broader education, I transferred to Occidental College in Los Angeles, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B. in Anglo-American literature. Just before graduation, I won third place in a short story contest and received a check for the whopping amount of $20. It was the first time I was ever paid for my writing and it felt good.
After college, I taught English for six years at a Chassidic Yeshiva in West Hollywood, while playing in a rock band and writing for an alternative weekly newspaper. I started writing for the newspaper after I won a story contest with a tall tale about a guy who loses his triplex on the beach during a game of darts with the devil. It was called "Darts with Mr. D," and the paper presented me with a princely check for $100—a 500% increase over my college contest award. Not only that, they asked me to keep writing for them, only—get this—they wanted actual journalism! I did what I could and had lots of fun doing it.
I got my big break when I answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times that said, “Writers Wanted.” I thought it was some weird scam but decided t
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 8, 2021
A clear and engaging biography about an exemplary human being and baseball legend for young readers
October 28, 2019
I picked up this book for my grandsons because they are huge baseball fans.
Living just 100 miles from Pittsburgh I thought I knew a lot about Roberto Clemente but I actually learned a lot from reading this book. I wish it had been longer, full of more about Roberto's life. He really was a very interesting man as well as a great baseball player and philanthropist.
I would recommend this book to young people just because it is informative without being overbearing and very interesting also.
Living just 100 miles from Pittsburgh I thought I knew a lot about Roberto Clemente but I actually learned a lot from reading this book. I wish it had been longer, full of more about Roberto's life. He really was a very interesting man as well as a great baseball player and philanthropist.
I would recommend this book to young people just because it is informative without being overbearing and very interesting also.
October 26, 2017
I rated this book 5 stars because it told me a lot of things,It told me a lot about his baseball career and how he was a legend.It never got boring it always kept me interested.I know a lot more about Roberto because of this book.I recommend it to everyone because its a great book for all ages.
October 19, 2017
In the book Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente is a book about Roberto Clemente. The book is great fora any baseball fan. It is very inspiring. If you like under dog story's this book is right for you. To find out haw Roberto gets there read the book.
February 18, 2009
Roberto Walker Clemente
This book was amazing; it told the life story of one of the greatest baseball players ever. Roberto was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934. Roberto was a Puerto Rico man who faced much diversity in his playing days. Someone who loves Clemente or any sport stories would love this book. Clemente had many injuries, the best line is when he said, “my good shoulder bad and bad should good”.
My favorite character is the main character, Roberto Clemente, duh. I’ve learned some new stuff about his beginning years as a professional baseball player. He used to play baseball every day after school. He had a wooden stick and a rock to play with. It told how his family was very poor. They were so poor that Roberto wanted a bike that cost $5 dollars, but they still couldn’t afford it. He had to get a job, and got paid a penny a day for picking up the empty milk cans. He worked for a couple years and got that bike.
This book made me want to be just like him. I wanted to go to the majors and prove that I could make it. I was inspired. My least favorite character wasn’t a specific character but a club, a team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. They drafted Roberto but they didn’t want him to play. They didn’t want him play and do good so some other team could get him. He played maybe 10 games. But finally a pirate’s scout saw him play one day and then within a week he was with the Pittsburg Pirates.
I was able to predict the ending, Tragically, Roberto Clemente's life ended on December 31, 1972 in a plane crash while en route to Nicaragua with relief supplies for earthquake victims. Clemente was on the plane to make sure the clothing, food and medical supplies weren't stolen, as had happened with previous flights. The rickety plane went down off the coast of San Juan shortly after takeoff, and Roberto's body was never found.
This book was amazing; it told the life story of one of the greatest baseball players ever. Roberto was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934. Roberto was a Puerto Rico man who faced much diversity in his playing days. Someone who loves Clemente or any sport stories would love this book. Clemente had many injuries, the best line is when he said, “my good shoulder bad and bad should good”.
My favorite character is the main character, Roberto Clemente, duh. I’ve learned some new stuff about his beginning years as a professional baseball player. He used to play baseball every day after school. He had a wooden stick and a rock to play with. It told how his family was very poor. They were so poor that Roberto wanted a bike that cost $5 dollars, but they still couldn’t afford it. He had to get a job, and got paid a penny a day for picking up the empty milk cans. He worked for a couple years and got that bike.
This book made me want to be just like him. I wanted to go to the majors and prove that I could make it. I was inspired. My least favorite character wasn’t a specific character but a club, a team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. They drafted Roberto but they didn’t want him to play. They didn’t want him play and do good so some other team could get him. He played maybe 10 games. But finally a pirate’s scout saw him play one day and then within a week he was with the Pittsburg Pirates.
I was able to predict the ending, Tragically, Roberto Clemente's life ended on December 31, 1972 in a plane crash while en route to Nicaragua with relief supplies for earthquake victims. Clemente was on the plane to make sure the clothing, food and medical supplies weren't stolen, as had happened with previous flights. The rickety plane went down off the coast of San Juan shortly after takeoff, and Roberto's body was never found.
December 3, 2014
This book is about the life of one of the world's best baseball players. This book follows Clemente from the time he was born in Bario San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico to the time he died in a plane crash. He died on a rescue mission for Nicaragua's people who suffered from and earthquake. This came right after he hit is 3,000 ball in the season of 1972. I believe Walker was trying to put people in the time of Clemente showing how good of a ball player he was as well as how great of a man he was. Walker also was trying to show what the true meaning of life is showing it is not all about fame but giving back. Clemente demonstrates this paying the ultimate price helping out other people.
I really enjoyed this book because of all of the details such as "the minimum major-league salary of $6000". I thought that it was amazing how the author could find the average salary for a rookie ball player at that time. This is why in my opinion the book is separated from all of the other Clemente autobiography s making the book so good. The main theme of this book was show both sides of Roberto Clemente. The two sides are his baseball life being one of the best of all time. The other side of Clemente is how he gives back to the world leaving no one behind.
I really enjoyed this book because of all of the details such as "the minimum major-league salary of $6000". I thought that it was amazing how the author could find the average salary for a rookie ball player at that time. This is why in my opinion the book is separated from all of the other Clemente autobiography s making the book so good. The main theme of this book was show both sides of Roberto Clemente. The two sides are his baseball life being one of the best of all time. The other side of Clemente is how he gives back to the world leaving no one behind.
February 13, 2013
Pride of Puerto Rico: The Life of Roberto Clemente
126 Pages
Non-Fiction
This book talks about the life of the baseball player, Roberto Clemente, who grew up in Puerto Rico. Roberto is regarded as one of the greatest players off the field. It talks about his childhood in Puerto Rico, where he would play baseball with the neighbors. The bat was a thick guava tree branch and the ball was many rags tied together. Roberto grew up poor and his mother did not support him being late for supper because of baseball. When Roberto was older, his parents had him travel into town to get a lottery ticket. He bought the ticket but after he watched his baseball idol, Monte Irvin, play baseball for the winter league for Puerto Rico. That started his dream to play professional ball. Roberto was so nice to the fans in Pittsburgh, that he would stay two hours after the game signing autographs for fans. The reason Clemente died was based around his charitable actions. He was flying to Nicaragua after their earthquake, and his plane crashed. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the history of America's past time.
126 Pages
Non-Fiction
This book talks about the life of the baseball player, Roberto Clemente, who grew up in Puerto Rico. Roberto is regarded as one of the greatest players off the field. It talks about his childhood in Puerto Rico, where he would play baseball with the neighbors. The bat was a thick guava tree branch and the ball was many rags tied together. Roberto grew up poor and his mother did not support him being late for supper because of baseball. When Roberto was older, his parents had him travel into town to get a lottery ticket. He bought the ticket but after he watched his baseball idol, Monte Irvin, play baseball for the winter league for Puerto Rico. That started his dream to play professional ball. Roberto was so nice to the fans in Pittsburgh, that he would stay two hours after the game signing autographs for fans. The reason Clemente died was based around his charitable actions. He was flying to Nicaragua after their earthquake, and his plane crashed. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the history of America's past time.
October 13, 2009
This book was an autobiography. I liked this book because it was about a good person from Puerto Rico. Roberto was not only a baseball star but a great role model to kids. I wish that Roberto could have lived longer because he was a good person.
April 5, 2009
I really loved this book because Roberto Clemente is one of my heroes. 21 is also my lucky number and birthday!
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September 9, 2009J796.35Wal
November 5, 2009
relly nice book.
March 31, 2010
Inspirational for young sport fans
April 13, 2010
read this book a long............... time ago begining of school
October 11, 2007
is a real good story
March 19, 2010
It wasn't that bad it was just a bit confusing at times...
May 19, 2010
Great Book!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews