A High Five for Glenn Burke
by
Phil Bildner
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Macmillan
Imprint
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN
9780374312732
Awards and Honors
2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalist
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism; Discrimination: Sexuality; Language: Homophobic Slur
When sixth grader Silas Wade does a school presentation on former Major Leaguer Glenn Burke, it’s more than just a report on the irrepressible inventor of the high five. Burke was a gay baseball player in the 1970s—and for Silas, the presentation is his own first baby step toward coming out. Soon he tells his best friend, Zoey, but the longer he keeps his secret from his baseball teammates, the more he suspects they know something’s up—especially when he stages one big cover-up with terrible consequences.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism; Discrimination: Sexuality; Language: Homophobic Slur
Details
Format
Page Count
288
Trim Size
8 1/4" x 5 1/3"
Dewey
F
AR
4.1: points 6
Lexile
690L
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Jun 2020
Book Genres
Realistic Fiction; Sports
Topics
Glenn Burke (1952 1995). Baseball. Role models. Schools. Coming out (sexual orientation). Best friends. Friendship. Family life. LGBTQ.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
School Library Journal, Booklist*
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
The author of the “Rip and Red” series tells the story of baseball-obsessed Silas, a 6th-grader whose journey to self-acceptance begins with a school presentation on Glenn Burke, the 1970s baseball player who invented the high-five, who was gay, and whose real-life story did not have a happy ending. Soon Silas is coming out to his best friend, Zoey, and to his favorite baseball coach. But things get complicated when a couple of his teammates use “gay” as an insult, and he finds himself lying about Zoey being his girlfriend. With Coach Webb’s support, he learns to take responsibility for his actions and strive for authenticity as he sorts out the mess he has created with his lie. As the novel ends, Silas has not yet come out to his family, but readers can be sure that when he does, they will respond with love and support. The baseball-heavy plot may deter readers who aren’t interested in sports, so librarians may need to be prepared to hand-sell this compassionate, well-written story to ensure a wider audience.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-7-The author of the "Rip and Red" series tells the story of baseball-obsessed Silas, a 6th-grader whose journey to self-acceptance begins with a school presentation on Glenn Burke, the 1970s baseball player who invented the high-five, who was gay, and whose real-life story did not have a happy ending. Soon Silas is coming out to his best friend, Zoey, and to his favorite baseball coach. But things get complicated when a couple of his teammates use "gay" as an insult, and he finds himself lying about Zoey being his girlfriend. With Coach Webb's support, he learns to take responsibility for his actions and strive for authenticity as he sorts out the mess he has created with his lie. As the novel ends, Silas has not yet come out to his family, but readers can be sure that when he does, they will respond with love and support. VERDICT The baseball-heavy plot may deter readers who aren't interested in sports, so librarians may need to be prepared to hand-sell this compassionate, well-written story to ensure a wider audience.-Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Brighton District Library, MI
Grades 5-8
Sports Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8
An action-packed level devoted exclusively to sports. These fiction and nonfiction selections are sure to be a hit with your middle-school sports fans. And the hits arrive each month with this 12 book category.
14 books per Year
$284.62 per Year
Interests
Biographies,Chapter Books/Novels,Diversity,Fiction,History,Nonfiction,Reluctant Readers,Realistic Fiction,Sports
Grades 5-8
Sports Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$284.62 per Year
