The Quick Quarterback

Andre was an all-star quarterback, but then was in a bike accident and broke his arm. He missed practice for six weeks, but when he returned to practice none of his family members would help him throw. He ended up playing with his dog and chasing him around his yard. In his first game back he struggled, and couldn’t throw as far as he used to. However, on the winning touchdown of the game, Andre ran the ball into the end-zone! This book is a primitive graphic novel.

Pierre the Penguin

Pierre is a penguin that lives in a zoo and has no feathers. Pam finds a way to keep Pierre warm using a wet suit, and six weeks later Pierre’s feathers grew. This book is told through rhymes. The illustrations are attractive water color. It is based on a true story.

Harlem Renaissance Artists and Writers

The Harlem Renaissance, the period of time when art and literature of the African American culture flourished, is briefly explored in the preface of this book. The chapters are devoted to well-known artists and writers such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker, in addition to others with whom I was not familiar such as Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, and Alain LeRoy Locke. I was disappointed that there were no excerpts of any of the authors’ works or reproductions of the artists’ works. There were photographs of the people profiled and further resources.

Hank Aaron: Groundbreaking Baseball Slugger

This is an excellent biography of the man often called “Bad Henry” because no one pitcher could stop him. It begins with the story of his life before baseball, back to the time when his father played for a local team. Aaron played both football and baseball in high school, but it was when he saw Jackie Robinson play for the first time that Aaron told his father that he would play professional baseball while Robinson was still playing ball. It goes on to describe Aaron’s career, particularly when he approaching Babe Ruth’s home run record. Instead of it being a time of joy, it was one of the most stressful times in his life because of the hate mail and death threats he received.  The work he considered even more important was opening doors for others, helping African Americans move into management and executive positions in baseball. Filled with pictures and sidebars, this is an excellent addition to the sports section in any school library.