{"id":8409297735,"title":"Waiting for Pumpsie","handle":"waiting-for-pumpsie","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/barry-wittenstein\"\u003eBarry Wittenstein\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"London Ladd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/london-ladd\"\u003eLondon Ladd\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"Change is coming real soon.\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1959 the Boston Red Sox was the last team in the Major Leagues to integrate. But when they call Elijah \"Pumpsie\" Green up from the minors, Bernard is overjoyed to see a black player on his beloved home team. And, when Pumpsie's first home game is scheduled, Bernard and his family head to Fenway Park. Bernard is proud of Pumpsie and hopeful that this historic event is the start of great change in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis fictionalized account captures the true story of baseball player Pumpsie Green's rise to the major leagues. The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Baseball Counting Book\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/baseball-counting-book\"\u003eThe Baseball Counting Book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Take Me Out to the Ball Game\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/take-me-out-to-the-ball-game\"\u003eTake Me Out to the Ball Game\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-spread.jpg?9609368493767452595\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBarry Wittenstein, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Wittenstein has worked at CBS Records, CBS News, and was a web editor and writer for Major League Baseball. He lives in New York, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/barry-wittenstein\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Barry here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLondon Ladd, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon Ladd is the illustrator of \u003ci\u003eUnder the Freedom Tree\u003c\/i\u003e by Susan VanHecke, \u003ci\u003eOprah: The Little Speaker\u003c\/i\u003e by Carole Boston Weatherford (Two Lions), and \u003ci\u003eMarch On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World\u003c\/i\u003e by Christine King Farris (Scholastic). London lives in Syracuse, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/london-ladd\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about London here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernard is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox, but the young black boy wonders when they will field a player who looks like him.Every year he and his family see a game at Fenway, though they don't always feel welcome there. Jackie Robinson has retired, and all the other Major League Baseball teams have African-American players. Even basketball's Boston Celtics and hockey's Boston Bruins have integrated, but the Red Sox owners continue to resist. Spring training 1959 brings a ray of hope. Pumpsie Green has a chance at making the team. But he is deemed \"not ready.\" After fan protests, newspaper editorials, and a drop into last place, Pumpsie is finally called up to the Red Sox. Bernard attends Pumpsie's first game at Fenway, acutely aware that he is witnessing history. Pumpsie will never be a star but has a solid journeyman career. Wittenstein is scrupulously accurate in his portrayal of time, place, baseball, and characters real and imagined, allowing Bernard to narrate in the language of the 1950s, speaking directly to readers in an earnest, joyous voice that resonates with emotion. Ladd's wonderfully detailed acrylic-and-colored pencil illustrations powerfully and beautifully complement and enhance the events. The family glows with personality, and the baseball scenes are spot-on. Bernard is innocent, aware, and endlessly hopeful and will win readers hearts. A grand slam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, other hurdles remained for black professional baseball players. It's something that Bernard, the young African-American narrator of Wittenstein's first picture book, is acutely aware of. \"How come the Giants got Wille Mays, and Jackie Robinson retired from the Dodgers, but we still don't have a Negro player?\" Bernard, a devoted Red Sox fan, asks his father. A promising minor leaguer, Pumpsie Green, finally gets a shot to play, but it's no easy road; the Red Sox, Wittenstein explains, were the last major league team to intergrate, in 1959. The racism that Green was up against is evident in Wittenstein's story and in Ladd's (Fredrick's Journey) expressive, dramatically framed acrylics; at Fenway, Bernard and his family are told to \"Sit down and shut up\" by a white fan and then scolded by a policeman. Bernard's conversational narration creates a warm bond with readers from the get-go, and although Wittenstein and Ladd never sugarcoat instances of racial prejudice, the story's moments of triumph sound the loudest notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1959 Boston, a young African American baseball fan named Bernard anxiously waits for the Minor League player Pumpsie Green to join the Red Sox. It is the last team with an all-white lineup, but change is in the air. Bernard and his family continue to face racial discrimination from white fans and policemen at Fenway Park when they attend games. But after the boy and his family hear Pumpsie's name announced on the radio, they later go to a game to root for the new player. This story is not so much about Pumpsie Green (who goes on to a short career with the Red Sox) as it is about a family longing for an end to segregation and discrimination. The joy that comes when they enjoy a small victory with their favorite team's integration is palpable though subtle and is the real center of the narrative. The vibrant illustrations in acrylic paint complement and enhance the text, making readers feel a part of the tale. This uplifting account of a family and the integration of Boston baseball will be inspiring to many youngsters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's 1959. Growing up in an African American family of avid baseball fans, Bernard loves almost everything about the Red Sox, from listening to games on the radio to cheering on the players at Fenway. What's not to love? Well, there's the fact that some folks in the stands make rude, racist remarks and the injustice that—12 years after Jackie Robinson \"broke the color barrier\"—the team has never fielded a black player. Finally, under pressure, management hires Pumpsie Green. The story ends on a high note, with everyone celebrating as Green contributes to a Red Sox win. Weaving in facts, emotions, and perspective, the first-person text makes it easy to empathize with Bernard's point of view. The acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations feature good characterizations, strong compositions, and dramatic ball-park scenes. A closing author's note fills in some baseball history. With its tacit acknowledgement that social change is a slow process and that racism was not confined to the South, this picture book contributes to children's understanding of America's past, while telling a good story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFenway News\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone knows the story of Jackie Robinson’s breaking baseball’s color barrier. What they might not know is that our hometown heroes were the last team in Major League Baseball to integrate—a full two years after Robinson retired. \u003ci\u003eWaiting for Pumpsie\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles shortstop Pumpsie Green’s troubled path through the Red Sox farm system to a brief (but historic) major league career.\u003cbr\u003e In his book, author and ex-MLB writer Barry Wittenstein tells Pumpsie’s story through the eyes of a young baseball fan named Bernard. Bernard is a black kid in Boston, and he questions his father about Boston’s unwillingness to integrate: “How come the Giants got Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson retired from the Dodgers, but we still don’t have a negro player?” An excellent question, his father admits.\u003cbr\u003e The book is half-criticism, half-ode. London Ladd’s illustrations paint Fenway as it was in the late 50s, and Wittenstein pays appropriate tribute to the park’s effect on baseball-loving youngsters. “There’s no place in the world like it,” says Bernard. “men with funny hats and aprons yell ‘Get your Cracker Jack!’ The left field wall even has a name—The Green Monster. I’m not kidding.”\u003cbr\u003e In his author’s note, Wittenstein writes: “Bernard’s story is about more than baseball, the game. It’s about moving toward equality and how sports can help change society for the better. For kids like Bernard who lived through Pumpsie’s debut in 1959, seeing the last Major League Baseball team racially integrated was an important personal and historical moment.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cvr.jpg?9609368493767452595\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-hires.zip?3808027833899110340\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-curriculum-guide.pdf?16684673094714075965\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Curriculum Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-545-3\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-949-5 EPUB\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-950-1 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5-8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 11\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 1. Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 2. Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2016-08-09T11:17:00-04:00","created_at":"2016-08-09T10:13:27-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Diversity","Browse by Subject_History \u0026 Biography","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills","Browse by Subject_Social Studies\/Cultures","Browse by Subject_Sports","civil rights"],"price":1699,"price_min":1699,"price_max":1699,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":27065686599,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"95453","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Waiting for Pumpsie - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1699,"weight":425,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":9,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-545-3","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cover.jpg?v=1586806798"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cover.jpg?v=1586806798","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Waiting for Pumpsie book cover","id":5804894027855,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.772,"height":777,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cover.jpg?v=1586806798"},"aspect_ratio":0.772,"height":777,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cover.jpg?v=1586806798","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/barry-wittenstein\"\u003eBarry Wittenstein\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"London Ladd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/london-ladd\"\u003eLondon Ladd\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"Change is coming real soon.\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1959 the Boston Red Sox was the last team in the Major Leagues to integrate. But when they call Elijah \"Pumpsie\" Green up from the minors, Bernard is overjoyed to see a black player on his beloved home team. And, when Pumpsie's first home game is scheduled, Bernard and his family head to Fenway Park. Bernard is proud of Pumpsie and hopeful that this historic event is the start of great change in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis fictionalized account captures the true story of baseball player Pumpsie Green's rise to the major leagues. The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Baseball Counting Book\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/baseball-counting-book\"\u003eThe Baseball Counting Book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Take Me Out to the Ball Game\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/take-me-out-to-the-ball-game\"\u003eTake Me Out to the Ball Game\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-spread.jpg?9609368493767452595\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBarry Wittenstein, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Wittenstein has worked at CBS Records, CBS News, and was a web editor and writer for Major League Baseball. He lives in New York, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/barry-wittenstein\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Barry here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLondon Ladd, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon Ladd is the illustrator of \u003ci\u003eUnder the Freedom Tree\u003c\/i\u003e by Susan VanHecke, \u003ci\u003eOprah: The Little Speaker\u003c\/i\u003e by Carole Boston Weatherford (Two Lions), and \u003ci\u003eMarch On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World\u003c\/i\u003e by Christine King Farris (Scholastic). London lives in Syracuse, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/london-ladd\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about London here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernard is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox, but the young black boy wonders when they will field a player who looks like him.Every year he and his family see a game at Fenway, though they don't always feel welcome there. Jackie Robinson has retired, and all the other Major League Baseball teams have African-American players. Even basketball's Boston Celtics and hockey's Boston Bruins have integrated, but the Red Sox owners continue to resist. Spring training 1959 brings a ray of hope. Pumpsie Green has a chance at making the team. But he is deemed \"not ready.\" After fan protests, newspaper editorials, and a drop into last place, Pumpsie is finally called up to the Red Sox. Bernard attends Pumpsie's first game at Fenway, acutely aware that he is witnessing history. Pumpsie will never be a star but has a solid journeyman career. Wittenstein is scrupulously accurate in his portrayal of time, place, baseball, and characters real and imagined, allowing Bernard to narrate in the language of the 1950s, speaking directly to readers in an earnest, joyous voice that resonates with emotion. Ladd's wonderfully detailed acrylic-and-colored pencil illustrations powerfully and beautifully complement and enhance the events. The family glows with personality, and the baseball scenes are spot-on. Bernard is innocent, aware, and endlessly hopeful and will win readers hearts. A grand slam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, other hurdles remained for black professional baseball players. It's something that Bernard, the young African-American narrator of Wittenstein's first picture book, is acutely aware of. \"How come the Giants got Wille Mays, and Jackie Robinson retired from the Dodgers, but we still don't have a Negro player?\" Bernard, a devoted Red Sox fan, asks his father. A promising minor leaguer, Pumpsie Green, finally gets a shot to play, but it's no easy road; the Red Sox, Wittenstein explains, were the last major league team to intergrate, in 1959. The racism that Green was up against is evident in Wittenstein's story and in Ladd's (Fredrick's Journey) expressive, dramatically framed acrylics; at Fenway, Bernard and his family are told to \"Sit down and shut up\" by a white fan and then scolded by a policeman. Bernard's conversational narration creates a warm bond with readers from the get-go, and although Wittenstein and Ladd never sugarcoat instances of racial prejudice, the story's moments of triumph sound the loudest notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1959 Boston, a young African American baseball fan named Bernard anxiously waits for the Minor League player Pumpsie Green to join the Red Sox. It is the last team with an all-white lineup, but change is in the air. Bernard and his family continue to face racial discrimination from white fans and policemen at Fenway Park when they attend games. But after the boy and his family hear Pumpsie's name announced on the radio, they later go to a game to root for the new player. This story is not so much about Pumpsie Green (who goes on to a short career with the Red Sox) as it is about a family longing for an end to segregation and discrimination. The joy that comes when they enjoy a small victory with their favorite team's integration is palpable though subtle and is the real center of the narrative. The vibrant illustrations in acrylic paint complement and enhance the text, making readers feel a part of the tale. This uplifting account of a family and the integration of Boston baseball will be inspiring to many youngsters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's 1959. Growing up in an African American family of avid baseball fans, Bernard loves almost everything about the Red Sox, from listening to games on the radio to cheering on the players at Fenway. What's not to love? Well, there's the fact that some folks in the stands make rude, racist remarks and the injustice that—12 years after Jackie Robinson \"broke the color barrier\"—the team has never fielded a black player. Finally, under pressure, management hires Pumpsie Green. The story ends on a high note, with everyone celebrating as Green contributes to a Red Sox win. Weaving in facts, emotions, and perspective, the first-person text makes it easy to empathize with Bernard's point of view. The acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations feature good characterizations, strong compositions, and dramatic ball-park scenes. A closing author's note fills in some baseball history. With its tacit acknowledgement that social change is a slow process and that racism was not confined to the South, this picture book contributes to children's understanding of America's past, while telling a good story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFenway News\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone knows the story of Jackie Robinson’s breaking baseball’s color barrier. What they might not know is that our hometown heroes were the last team in Major League Baseball to integrate—a full two years after Robinson retired. \u003ci\u003eWaiting for Pumpsie\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles shortstop Pumpsie Green’s troubled path through the Red Sox farm system to a brief (but historic) major league career.\u003cbr\u003e In his book, author and ex-MLB writer Barry Wittenstein tells Pumpsie’s story through the eyes of a young baseball fan named Bernard. Bernard is a black kid in Boston, and he questions his father about Boston’s unwillingness to integrate: “How come the Giants got Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson retired from the Dodgers, but we still don’t have a negro player?” An excellent question, his father admits.\u003cbr\u003e The book is half-criticism, half-ode. London Ladd’s illustrations paint Fenway as it was in the late 50s, and Wittenstein pays appropriate tribute to the park’s effect on baseball-loving youngsters. “There’s no place in the world like it,” says Bernard. “men with funny hats and aprons yell ‘Get your Cracker Jack!’ The left field wall even has a name—The Green Monster. I’m not kidding.”\u003cbr\u003e In his author’s note, Wittenstein writes: “Bernard’s story is about more than baseball, the game. It’s about moving toward equality and how sports can help change society for the better. For kids like Bernard who lived through Pumpsie’s debut in 1959, seeing the last Major League Baseball team racially integrated was an important personal and historical moment.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-cvr.jpg?9609368493767452595\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-hires.zip?3808027833899110340\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/waiting-for-pumpsie-curriculum-guide.pdf?16684673094714075965\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Curriculum Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-545-3\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-949-5 EPUB\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-950-1 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5-8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 11\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 1. Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 2. Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}