  | Swinging into history : Toni Stone: big-league baseball's first woman player Author: Swanson, Karen L. | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Young readers will root for Toni "Tomboy" Stone, the first woman (and the first Black woman) to break into professional baseball--taking over Hank Aaron's roster spot.
| Illustrator: | Freeman, Laura |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/01/24)
Booklist (07/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 07/01/2024 Growing up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Toni Stone (aka Tomboy) dreamed of playing Negro League baseball someday. Her parents tried to steer her into the more ladylike sport of figure skating, but Stone enlisted help from their parish priest, who told them that it was no sin to play ball for the church team. Although that team's coach refused to teach her, she found a former major league player who helped her gain the skills and confidence to try out for professional teams later. Despite continuing racial and gender-based discrimination, as well as harassment from spectators and even her teammates, she worked her way up to the Negro Leagues, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns and the Kansas City Monarchs. The narrative is appealing; well-chosen quotes from Stone are presented on certain pages alongside Freeman’s engaging digital illustrations. From childhood dream to hard-won achievements, Stone’s story unfolds as a picture book with a happy ending. In the extensive back matter, Swanson makes clear how difficult and demoralizing Stone’s path really was. An inspirational biography for baseball fans. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
