The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton
by
Audrey Vernick
illustrated by
Steven Salerno
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Imprint
Clarion
ISBN
9780544611634
Awards and Honors
Beehive Award 2019 Nominee
CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2017, K–2
ILA Children’s Choices 2017 Reading List
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
In 1922, ten-year-old Edith Houghton was already playing pro baseball with the all-female Philadelphia Bobbies. In 1925, the team "set forth on a great adventure"—to play teams in Japan! Author's note. Full-color illustrations done in charcoal, ink, and gouache, with added digital color.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
40
Dewey
796.357092 B
AR
0: points 0
Lexile
AD880L
Genre
Nonfic
Scholastic Reading Counts
2
JLG Release
May 2016
Book Genres
Topics
Edith Houghton (1912-2013). U.S. baseball players. Biography. Women baseball players.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Booklist, The Horn Book Magazine, The Horn Book Guide^, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
Vernick provides another entertaining and informative introduction to a little-known baseball legend. Edith Houghton, born in 1912 in Philadelphia, became a female baseball player at the age of 10. Playing with women who were older than herself, she traveled as far as Japan. Later, she became the first woman hired as a scout for a professional baseball team. While the story itself is fascinating, Vernick excels at highlighting the more noteworthy aspects of the athlete’s life with her attention to detail. When describing the team’s sea voyage to Japan, she points out the fun the teammates had dancing and socializing, once they overcame their seasickness. However, the heart of the story is Houghton’s recollections of her youthful experiences. Appended is a postscript of Houghton’s later life along with photographs—a satisfying touch. Created from charcoal ink and gouache, the colorful and lively illustrations complement the text. Especially well done is Salerno’s occasional use of the contrast between sepia and color tones, which accentuates the more important aspects of the page. This book should especially appeal to those who enjoyed Vernick and Salerno’s Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team (Clarion, 2012). VERDICT The compelling story and energetic illustrations make this an excellent addition.—Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA
Horn Book
Edith Houghton was “magic on the field,” a baseball legend of the 1920s. Playing starting shortstop for the all-women’s professional team the Philadelphia Bobbies, she drew fans to the ballpark with her impressive offensive and defensive talent. Besides that, Edith was just ten years old; her uniform was too big, her pants kept falling down, and her too-long sleeves encumbered her play. But she was good, and the older players took “The Kid” under their wing. And that’s the real story here, told through Vernick’s conversational text. It’s not so much about the baseball action but the team—barnstorming through the Northwest U.S. playing against male teams; experiencing ship life aboard the President Jefferson on the way to Japan; playing baseball in Japan; and learning about Japanese culture. Salerno’s appealing charcoal, ink, and gouache illustrations evoke a bygone era of baseball with smudgy-looking uniforms, sepia tones, and double-page spreads for a touch of ballpark grandeur. An informative author’s note tells more of Edith’s story— the other women’s teams she played for, her job as a major league scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, and being honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. An engaging story that reminds readers that “baseball isn’t just numbers and statistics, men and boys. Baseball is also ten-year-old girls, marching across a city to try out for a team intended for players twice their age.” dean schneider
Grades 2-6
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Grades 2-6
Sports Elementary Plus
14 books per Year
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