Across the Alley

Across the Alley
by Richard Michelson
illustrated by E.B. Lewis

I began reading this book to my kids and after a few pages I stopped. It is about two boys who live across the alley from one another. They were great friends, though they never played with one another aside from tossing a ball across the alley from their bedroom windows. Willie was black and played baseball. Abe was Jewish and played the violin.

I stopped reading the book because I didn't like the stereotypes that were presented in the book, specifically by Abe's grandfather. However, I silently read further in the book and decided to proceed in reading it to my kids. I was pleased to see that the stereotypes were broken and in fact, Willie turned out to be quite the violin player and Abe turned out to be a quite a baseball pitcher.

Luke Goes to Bat

Luke Goes to Bat 

by Rachel Isadora

The young boy, Luke, is too young to play stickball with the bigger boys. The one day he got his big chance, he struck out...twice and was certain that he would never be able to play again. But, a smile was brought to his face when his grandmother announced that she had two tickets to see Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers play. Realizing that Jackie Robinson did not quit, Luke decided to follow his grandmother's advice after all and NOT give up! This book opened the door for some more learning for my kids. After reading it, my boys asked questions about Jackie Robinson throughout the day!