We Are the Ship

Nelson, Kadir. (2008). We Are the Ship. New York, NY: Hyperion.

Genre: Non-fiction

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award, Sibert Medal, and New York Times Best Seller

Lexile Measure: 900L

DRA: 60

AR: 5.0

Summary: This is the history of the Negro League Baseball and the untold stories of its professional baseball  players. It describes the humble beginning of the league thanks to the management of Andrew Rube Foster who managed the First Colored World Series. African-American players suffered from discrimination, under pay and unfair treatment all through the 1800's and 1900's. They played for the love of the game despite the challenges and disrespect from the segregated country. Then came Jackie Roberson, the first African-American to be sign by a professional baseball team and his crossover open the door to so many and the Negro League Baseball declined.

Reader Response: The book is narrated by an Everyman player and it includes famous quotes from the team members as well as original photograph in the author's notes.The oil paintings in the book are extraordinary, each page illustrates a baseball player that was part of the Negro League Baseball Team, men that paved the road for so many. The book is modeled after a baseball game with nine chapters, each one being an inning. It will sure be a hit for all the baseball fan students. It can be share with students to teach about segregation and integration, tolerance and experiences.  

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