The Kid from Diamond Street

December 14, 2015
The team behind Brothers at Bat (2012) returns with another exuberant story drawn from baseball history. As a child in the 1920s, Edith Houghton wouldn’t let the fact that she was 10 keep her from trying out for the all-female Philadelphia Bobbies: “Edith was so good she made the team. Edith was so good she was named starting shortstop.” At 13, Houghton traveled with the Bobbies to Japan, where they held their own against male, college-level teams. Choice quotations from Houghton bring her personality and love of baseball to vivid life, while Salerno’s mixed-media artwork channels the footloose energy of the Jazz Age, especially during the Bobbies’ trans-Pacific trip, as the players jitterbug in the ocean liner’s ballroom and practice on its deck “under a sky of endless blue.” Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

March 1, 2016
A remarkable young woman plays baseball with tremendous skill in the early days of the 20th century. From the time she was a very young girl, Edith Houghton was an incredibly talented and dedicated player on the local Philadelphia sandlots, where she was valued by her male counterparts. When the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all-female (and all-white) professional team of young women, held tryouts, she made the team even though she was only 10 years old. Wearing a uniform that was so large that it had to be pinned and rolled up, she nevertheless proved herself on the field and at bat. Playing mostly against men's teams, the Bobbies first barnstormed locally and then through the American West and on to Japan. Throughout it all, large, admiring crowds and the press had nothing but praise for Edith. Vernick offers plenty of details about Edith's life on the baseball circuit, telling the tale in a conversational tone that brings the events to life and indicating that the concept of women playing alongside and against men was, if not common, perfectly acceptable. Salerno's illustrations, variously rendered in charcoal, ink, and gouache, as well as digital color, lovingly evoke the time period and the settings. Much fascinating information about Edith's long and adventurous life is added in an author's note. A forgotten star shines anew. (author's note, photographs) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

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March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 3-Vernick provides another entertaining and informative introduction to a little-known baseball legend. Edith Houghton, born in 1912 in Philadelphia, became a female baseball player at the age of 10. Playing with women who were older than herself, she traveled as far as Japan. Later, she became the first woman hired as a scout for a professional baseball team. While the story itself is fascinating, Vernick excels at highlighting the more noteworthy aspects of the athlete's life with her attention to detail. When describing the team's sea voyage to Japan, she points out the fun the teammates had dancing and socializing, once they overcame their seasickness. However, the heart of the story is Houghton's recollections of her youthful experiences. Appended is a postscript of Houghton's later life along with photographs-a satisfying touch. Created from charcoal ink and gouache, the colorful and lively illustrations complement the text. Especially well done is Salerno's occasional use of the contrast between sepia and color tones, which accentuates the more important aspects of the page. This book should especially appeal to those who enjoyed Vernick and Salerno's Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team (Clarion, 2012). VERDICT The compelling story and energetic illustrations make this an excellent addition.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Grades 2-5 This entertaining picture-book biography documents the adventures of Edith Houghton, a shortstop with the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all-girl exhibition baseball team from the 1920s and '30s. Droll illustrations and brief, well-chosen anecdotes help readers appreciate the early-twentieth-century novelty of women's professional sports, and demonstrate how women had to compete against men, due to lack of female competition. The Bobbies traveled across the U.S. and Canada, and even embarked on a cultural exchange tournament to Japan. What makes the story interesting to young readers is that Edith first started playing for the team in elementary school, when she was 10. This timely message about playing simply for the love of the game, as opposed to personal glory or celebrity, comes through loud and clear. Sadly, Vernick just missed out on the opportunity to interview Edith herselfan author's note states that Edith died in 2013, just before her 101st birthday, as Vernick was completing this timely and engaging tribute.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
Edith Houghton was magic on the field, a baseball legend of the 1920s. Playing starting shortstop for the all-women's professional team the Philadelphia Bobbies, she drew fans to the ballpark with her impressive offensive and defensive talent. Besides that, Edith was just ten years old; her uniform was too big, her pants kept falling down, and her too-long sleeves encumbered her play. But she was good, and the older players took The Kid under their wing. And that's the real story here, told through Vernick's conversational text. It's not so much about the baseball action but the teambarnstorming through the Northwest U.S. playing against male teams; experiencing ship life aboard the President Jefferson on the way to Japan; playing baseball in Japan; and learning about Japanese culture. Salerno's appealing charcoal, ink, and gouache illustrations evoke a bygone era of baseball with smudgy-looking uniforms, sepia tones, and double-page spreads for a touch of ballpark grandeur. An informative author's note tells more of Houghton's storythe other women's teams she played for, her job as a major league scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, and being honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. An engaging story that reminds readers that baseball isn't just numbers and statistics, men and boys. Baseball is also ten-year-old girls, marching across a city to try out for a team intended for players twice their age. dean schneider

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)