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Mamie "Peanut" Johnson had one dream: to play professional baseball. She was a talented player, but she wasn't welcome in the segregated All-American Girls Pro Baseball League due to the color of her skin. However, a greater opportunity came her way in 1953 when Johnson signed to play ball for the Negro Leagues' Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first female pitcher to play on a men's professional team. During the three years she pitched for the Clowns, her record was an impressive 33-8. But more importantly, she broke ground for other female athletes and for women everywhere.
"In this biography of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson...Henderson focuses on Johnson’s determination and passion for the sport. . . .Johnson’s grit appeals: “She would say, ‘Don’t emphasize the hardness of it,’ because she and the other players were doing what they wanted to do—playing the game they loved.” Smoothly exaggerated realism gives Doutsiopoulos’s illustrations an engaging cartoon flair." - Publishers Weekly
November 14, 2019
"Through informative prose and muscular illustrations, Mamie emerges as both small in stature and larger than life. . . .The artwork deftly works with the text to provide a memorable reading experience, Mamie's enthusiasm and determination shining from every page. . . .This compelling story of breaking barriers and perseverance is timely and essential. . . .An incredible tribute to an African American woman who dismantled racial and gender obstacles amid the civil rights movement." - Kirkus Reviews
December 1, 2019
"This well researched picture-book biography brings to life a little-known athlete who deserves much more attention and fame." - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
March 17, 2021
"There were a number of things I liked about this book, including the ways in which Henderson eschews faux dialogue and has this extensive list of Source Notes with direct quotes, as well as a Select Bibliography for consideration. The illustrator, George Doutsiopoulos, is Greek and insofar as I can tell this may be his first book published here in the States. He better keep at it, because there’s a twinkle in Mamie’s eyes in this book that’s difficult to capture in illustration. This isn’t the first picture book bio of a Black woman in baseball, but it’s certainly one of the best you’ll find. In a league of its own." - A Fuse 8 Production, 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2020 American History Titles for Kids
December 24, 2020
Best of the Best Books 2020
November 1, 2020
2020 Ultimate List of Diverse Children's Books
November 1, 2019
2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Books
February 1, 2021
CCBC Choices 2021
March 1, 2021
Leah Henderson was one of only two girls on a highly competitive "all-boys" traveling soccer team when she was young, so Mamie’s desire to play ball echoed her own. Leah writes for young readers of all ages, and her books include Children’s Africana Book Awards notable and Bank Street Best Books of 2017, One Shadow on the Wall. She is a mentor, and avid traveler, and her volunteer work has roots in West Africa. Leah holds an MFA in Writing and is on faculty in Spalding University’s MFA program. When she is not traveling or off playing soccer with her dog at midnight, you can find her at home in Washington, D.C.
Go to the Author’s Page →