Louis Sockalexis

Review
By The Well-Read Child

Bill Wise’s account of the first acknowledged Native American major league baseball player is nonfiction but reads like a story. . . . As I was reading, I found myself feeling anger towards the people, empathy towards Louis, and great excitement as Louis stood at the plate. The sepia tones of Farnsworth’s illustrations take us back to the time period, but I hardly noticed the pictures as I was reading because I was so involved with the story. Much more than a book about baseball, Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer is a book about determination, hard work, adversity, and acceptance. This would be a great pick for a baseball fan or someone who is interested in learning more about famous Native Americans. In addition, it’s a nice book to prompt discussion about prejudice and racism.