Silent Star

The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy
By William Wise, Adam Gustavson
Paperback: $12.95

The biography of William Ellsworth Hoy, the first deaf player to have a successful career in professional and Major League baseball.

Description

William Hoy loved baseball. Growing up in the 1860s and ’70s, he dreamed of one day playing in the major leagues. A far-off fantasy for many boys, fulfilling this dream was even more of a long shot for William, who was deaf.

Striving to find his place in a hearing world, Hoy became a shoemaker. He took pride in his work, but baseball was still his real love. When an amateur team coach saw him playing behind the shoemaker’s shop, Hoy dazzled the coach with his hard-hitting skills. Moving from amateur clubs to the minor leagues and eventually to the majors, Hoy proved himself again and again-overcoming obstacles and becoming a star both on and off the baseball diamond.

Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy is a tribute to one of the most inspirational figures in baseball history. A talented player with a standout record, Hoy is a shining example that success in life should not be measured by differences but by drive and determination.

About the Creators

William Wise

Bill Wise is an avid baseball fan, first heard about William Hoy when he was a child. Years later, after further research, Wise was inspired to bring Hoy’s remarkable story to young readers. Wise and his family live in Gorham, Maine.

Adam Gustavson

Adam Gustavson has illustrated more than twenty highly praised books for children. In spite of his lack of baseball-playing skill, Gustavson enthusiastically embraced William Hoy’s story and spent months researching baseball rules, uniforms, and stadiums in use during Hoy’s lifetime. Gustavson is also a part-time art educator at the college level. He lives in West Orange, New Jersey, with his family.

Awards

  • Best Children's Books of the Year Outstanding

    Bank Street College of Education

  • CCBC Choices

    Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

  • United Women in Faith Reading Program

    United Methodist Women

Reviews

  • "Employing rich descriptive language with just the right combination of drama and information, Wise emphasizes Hoy's steadfastness and determination in his baseball exploits and in every endeavor before and after his career. . . A fascinating introduction to a little-known hero."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Wise's biography covers Hoy's whole life, including the attack of meningitis that left him deaf at age three, and celebrates the courage and determination it took for Hoy to make it to the major leagues. Gustavson's oil illustrations complement the text nicely, providing historical details—handlebar moustaches, old uniforms, newspaper headlines, and panoramic views inside old ballparks—that will put readers in the games alongside Hoy, imagining the cheers from the stands that Hoy never heard."

    - The Horn Book
  • "Along with attracting baseball fans, this perceptive portrait of an athlete overcoming a physical disability will also enrich curricula."

    - Booklist
  • "An excellent blend of sports, history, and overcoming disabilities, the story of major leaguer William Hoy has much to offer."

    - Library Media Connection

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620148082
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2012
  • Trim Size 10.75 × 7.75 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600604119
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2012
  • Trim Size 10.75 × 7.75 in
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Word Count 2186
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Sports & Recreation
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Health & Daily Living / Physical Impairments
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / Sports & Recreation / Baseball & Softball
  • Themes Biography / Memoir, Bullying, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Disabilities, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Integrity / Honesty, Multiple Ethnicities Represented, Nonfiction, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, People In Motion, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Self Control / Self Regulation, Social Justice & Activism, Sports, Sports History, United States History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading T
  • ATOS Book Level 5.4
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Level 840
  • Reading Level Grades 3 - 4
  • SRC 5.5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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