Book Nook: Brooklyn Bat Boy

Sixty-nine years ago, on April 15th, Jackie Robinson broke the long standing color barrier by becoming the first black Major League Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. We continue to celebrate him today, now with a new generation of fans, players, and students.

 

Geoff Griffin, longtime sports writer and current elementary educator, wrote a new book with an updated look at the story, that I got a chance to review. In Brooklyn Bat Boy, 12-year-old Bobby Kelly gets the job of bat boy for the Dodgers, and then needs to figure out how he feels about this new African-American player, despite other friends and family members voicing disapproval. As part of the team, Bobby needs to learn to accept Robinson.

This story shows a little different side to history, and it's nice to see how some of the supporting players had to come to terms with change. Not only is it important to learn about the history, but this also shows how we can come to accept and respect change, how we can show courage and strength, and how we can embrace people who are different from us.

 

Geoff Griffin has worked as a lawyer, special education teacher, journalist and editor. He has over 20 years of experience writing for a variety of newspapers and magazines. He has had a number of essays published in anthologies and is co-host of the award-winning Travel Brigade Radio Show and Podcast. Brooklyn Bat Boy is Griffin’s first work of fiction.

Learn more at www.BrooklynBatBoy.com, www.GeoffGriffin.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Brooklyn Bat Boy can be purchased as from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.