Book Cover Image:
Book Summary: This
is the fictional account of real life baseball player, Joseph Jefferson
Jackson, and his infamous bat Black Betsy.
Joe quickly became known as “Shoeless Joe Jackson” for once playing a
game in his baseball socks. One day, Joe
finds himself in a batting slump. He
decided to visit his old friend Charlie Ferguson who was a South Carolina bat
smith. Joe asks him to create the
perfect bat for him to help get him out of his slump. Joe comes to find that the best bat for him
is a 48 ounce bat, made out of hickory, rubbed with tobacco juice to make it
look mean and black. Joe decided to name
the bat Black Betsy. Black Betsy saw Joe
through his baseball career. In return
Joe took excellent care of Black Betsy, rubbing her down, sleeping in bed with
her and bringing her South during the winter so she wouldn’t have to be
cold. Black Betsy and Joe ended up
having great seasons together in the major leagues.
APA Reference of
Book:
Bildner, P. (2002). Shoeless
Joe & black Betty. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster.
Impressions: This book is a wonderful and fun way to
teach children about a legendary baseball player. The relationship between Joe and Black Betsy
is an enjoyable one. Joe is very
supersticious and particular about his bat and believes it controls how he will
perform in games. He goes to great
lengths to make sure he takes care of Black Betsy in order to ensure his own
success.
The relationship between Joe and Charlie is also an
endearing one. Charlie was clearly
played a significant role in Joe’s life and his willingness to work with Joe,
regardless of how many odd requests he made, had a hand in Joe’s success. Throughout the book it is heartwarming to see
Charlie always help Joe when he needs it and never give up on him.
Shoeless Joe &
Black Betsy is a wonderful example of historical fiction. The afterward of the book gives a short
synopsis of Joe’s real life and it is interesting to compare the two. More or less the account given in the
fictional story stays true to Joe’s actual life. However, Bilder has done an excellent job of
creating and enjoyable and fun story for children to learn more about this
man.
Professional
Review:
Publisher’s Weekly
Book Review -
One of
baseball's greats receives star treatment in this compelling book. Shortly
before "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (so named for having played a game in
his stocking feet) joins the minors, he falls into a slump, and out of
desperation ends up in the workshop of "the finest bat smith in all of
South Carolina." Joe names the bat Ol' Charlie Ferguson makes for him
Betsy ("Pitchers are going to honor and respect this bat the way they
respect the flag Betsy Ross created," the hero states), but the slump
continues. So does the partnership between the two men as Ol' Charlie refines
the bat's design—it's remade from the "north side of a hickory tree"
and rubbed down with tobacco juice so it will be "dark and
scary-looking"—and Joe learns how to massage it with sweet oil and keep it
wrapped in cotton ("Cotton will make Black Betsy feel right at home in
Cleveland," Ol' Charlie tells him). Finally Betsy takes him to the major
leagues and his finest season ever. Rookie Bildner hits a home run here, zeroing
in on the bat as just the right lens through which to view his picture book
biography. He strews the conversational prose with appealing colloquialisms in
a catchy refrain ("sure as the sky is blue and the grass is green").
Payne's (The Remarkable Farkle McBride) portraits take on a tall-tale
quality suffused with nostalgia; his strong-featured characters offer a
riveting blend of humor and gravity. An afterword fills in the details of
Jackson's life and career, including the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
Source: (2002). [Review of the book Shoeless Joe & black Betsy by P.
Bildner].
Publisher’s
Weekly.
Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-82913-0
Library Uses: The students will create a new jacket
cover for the book. Each student will
work to create a front cover that includes the title, author, illustrator and
an illustration that they feel best portrays the book. The students will create these reviews
themselves, but they can use their imagination to say who “actually” wrote
them. The back cover will include a brief summary of the novel with at least
two reviews of the book. Finally, if
time permits, they will work on the inside flaps. Here they could include a more detailed
summary of the story, a literary critique, more reviews, or quotes from the
book.
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