Jackie Robinson and the Big Game (Ready-to-Read. Level 2)

From School Library Journal Grade 1-2–This heavily fictionalized, saccharine easy reader contains a smattering of facts and paints nine-year-old Jackie as a zealous competitor. He readily picks up new sports skills but chafes at being bested by his older sibling, Mack. When Jackie is invited to join his brother's baseball game, he hits a single off Mack and then proceeds to steal second, third, and home. Unappealing watercolor illustrations show the boys playing among multiracial children; in fact, the brothers grew up in a time when society was deeply segregated by race. Young readers seeking an introduction to this famous athlete are better served by David A. Adler's