Who Was Jackie Robinson?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Gail Herman, Who H.Q., John O'Brien (Illustrator)

As a kid, Jackie Robinson loved sports. And why not? He was a natural at football, basketball, and, of course, baseball. But beyond athletic skill, it was his strength of character that secured his place in sports history. In 1947 Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the long-time color barrier in major league baseball. It was tough being first- not only did "fans" send hate mail but some of his own teammates refused to accept him. Here is an inspiring sports biography, with black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, History, Childrens, Baseball, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Gail Herman, formerly a children's book editor in New York City, has written picture books, easy-to-reads, and chapter books, including many titles in the Who Was/What Was series. She lives in Newton, Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with the help of audio from Scribd.

[Joey Oborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great I just thort the Jackie was just a ball player but I learned that he was way more, he was the first black player in the MLB.

[Kazuo SLG3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was a first black baseball player. However,he was a shy man. As I see it, most people called legend have both shy aspect and bold one.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball, he handled himself with dignity and grace. He played hard and let his talent on the field speak for itself.

[Dylan Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book, taught me so much about jackie, didnt know he died by going to his wife to say by to the kids and then died

[Logan Richter · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved it

[Bailey Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because he is a brave man and he decides to make a big chose and change the way people think about black people in a way that was never done before and he went onto a all white baseball team and it was rough he got yelled at screamed at and even hit in the head by pitches on purpose and he couldn't say anything about it or do the mean things because he would run the chance for other people to be in a all white baseball team and the law would never change and it would be the same for a long time. Hope you consider reading this book hope you enjoyed my review.

[Sylvia "Chivy" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about one of the GREATEST baseball players of our time.
Fun Facts........
Jackie Robinson's baseball jersey number 42 was retired on April 15, 1997 on the 50th anniversary of the breaking the color bar on baseball.
Since April 15, 2009 MLB players wear the number 42 to celebrate Jackie Robinson and to honor his legacy, values and accomplishments.
On July 23, 1962 Jackie Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall in Cooperstown, New York.

[Kamren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book I love how he broke the color brier he was brave on the field his son was in the war and when he came back he had an addition to drugs.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I read this in preparation for visiting the Negro Leagues Museum.

[Kristi Clemow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good biography paralleling the civil rights movement in America.

[Megan Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! It is a great introduction for students to tell them who Jackie Robinson was. It also discussed several important events that were happening in the world such as the Civil Rights Movement. It discusses how he was the first African American to play professional baseball. This book would be great for a lesson on who Jackie Robinson was, important events going on during that time span, or the sport of baseball.

[Ibrieal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative and has many facts about Jackie Robinson. There are also illustrations within the book which will gives students a visual and hen them comprehend.

[Ethan]

The book was about a boy who was the first black male to enter the MLB and the little leagues (at the time). When he was first born his mom didn't have a lot of money, his dad left him, his brother, and his mom behind. So at the time, the woman didn't have much of a good job so she started to find a good job until she found one. When Jackie first went to the little league stadium he was kind of scared but not at the same time he and another black person where there.

I think the book was pretty good. The book itself had a few flaws but what book doesn't. I like the storyline behind it with all the interesting facts about how baseball was and how he lived. The book was probably a 7/10 in my opinion but if you think different you do. I suggest this book to the people who love baseball sports and want to learn more about how the 1900s were and to the people who like the Yankees

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

who was Jackie Robinson by Gail Herman . it is a great and informal story . it explained most of his life.he was an empowering person who broke the color barrier . he is the man who the new revolution of african American men playing on major league teams . he en courted people other than white to play major league baseball . he changed baseball for the better . he african American people ti white people .

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHO WAS JAKIE ROBINSON HE WAS A HERO A MAN TO REMEMBER 👏🏾👊🏽👍🏽😎

[Sheri S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the "Who Was" series, this book about Jackie Robinson is my favorite. It was written in such a way that younger children could understand the civil rights issues that were going on during Jackie Robinson's lifetime. The author gives a concise yet thorough history of Jackie Robinson's life, his challenges and his success (especially in sports). I learned that one of Jackie Robinson's brothers was a silver medalist at the Olympics, finishing behind Jesse Owens. Jackie Robinson was clearly an amazing man who faced difficult obstacles and overcame them with maturity and grace. He eventually earned the respect of all his teammates, as well as those from other teams. He broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and the country has changed for the better because of Jackie Robinson's courage and bravery!

[Zaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a young boy who wanted to become a professional baseball player. This young boy was black and it was very hard from not to get bulled and get called names. But what was the hardiest thing was that when his father left the house when he was four and never came back. After they moved to California his brother Frank got in to a motorcycle accident and dies. But he overcomes everything and he accomplished his dreams and becomes a professional baseball player.


What I thought of this book was that it was really good. And some of the reasons that I liked this book was that it teaches a lesson. And that lesson is that no matter what color you are or what religion you are you can achieve anything. So overall I loved this book and I hope you will to.

[kayla elledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Jackie hit I know he was swinging home and it has been like that all his life!!!!!!!!!!!!!I LOVE IT IT WAS THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Patrick Lopiparo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackie Robinson is a true inspiration to not only baseball fans but everyone. Being the first African American baseball player was not easy with all the hate everyone gave him. Not only were the fans mean to him his teammates were too. After a while his teammates finally started to see how well of a baseball player he was they started to realize he was a normal person and started standing up for him like they should have because he was there teammate.
I would recommend this book to people who are against color discrimination because i know you would like it. It was a easy read but a very well written book.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the biography of Jackie Robinson. The first African American to play major league baseball. Jackie played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The biography covers his life from birth to death and all of the major events in-between, going beyond just playing professional baseball. This book and others in the Who Was series are wonderful books for students wanting to read non-fiction and they are good resources to have in a classroom to teach about historical events and people. Who is Jackie Robinson would also be a great book to use when teaching about civil rights. This book is a 3rd to 4th grade reading level.

[Kristin Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for children who are major league baseball lovers like myself. Children can learn about the first black man to play in the major leagues: his life growing up, why he chose to play baseball, the struggles he had to overcome to be accepted into baseball and win fans. There is a great timeline with the events of Robinson's life and how they match up with world events at the end of the story. I also like that they incorporated a chart with Robinson's baseball stats. Great use of illustrations throughout the entire book.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for children to learn about Jackie Robinson. It really tells you about the hard time Jackie and other African Americans had to go through. I learned a lot about Jackie Robinson while reading this book. The book is a fairly easy read, so it will be more appealing to school age students versus reading other documents about his biography. The whole "Who Was" series is a great series for young students to read.

[Billy Noecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great biography of the life of Jackie Robinson, answer just who he was. Growing up in segregation, playing baseball in the all-black negro-league, to overcoming adversity and breaking down barriers by becoming the first black man to play major league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. A great story of overcoming adversity. This would be a great story for students studying social issues in a social studies unit.

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Robinson was known for being the first black male baseball player. When Jackie Robinson was a kid he loved playing sports including football, basketball. When I read this book It got me interested in baseball. In 1947 He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and brook the colored barrier. It changed the history of baseball. I recommend this book to people who like baseball and who was, who is books. I recommend this book for any age.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who Was Jackie Robinson?" by Gail Herman is a biography about one of the most famous baseball players in history and one of the first African-American players. Jackie Robinson was one of the best players in the history of baseball. He set a good example of the fact that African-Americans can do the same thing that white people can. To this da Jackie Robinson still holds many records. Jackie Robinson left a lasting impact on the world of baseball.

[Harry Griffin]

This book was an amazing read. It told the story of Jackie Robinson. The narrator gave account of many different struggles that Jackie faced during his rise to baseball fame. This book would be a great addition to lessons about historical figures. It would also be a great addition to any 3rd to 6th grade classroom library.

[Sanjuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Who was/is" series is full of brief but helpful books for kids. This one was interesting to read with my kids, because it doubled as a brief history of baseball in the 1940s and the civil rights movement of the 1940s-60s. Short, but full of the most important information regarding Robinson's life.

[Olivia Spenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot for me it was a short read, but it will be different for everyone. It was informational and it was inspiring because even though people teased him and were mean to him he never got mad. I think that is a good thing. So if you like sports I think that this would be a good read for you.

[Jalen Tranbarger]

This informational book provides readers with explanation of the life of Jackie Robinson. He had to brave through ridicule and torture to play the game he loved at the highest level. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues.