Contenders
Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series
Penguin Young Readers Group · Print & ebook · April 11, 2023
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series.
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- Who it’s for
- A picture-book account of two Native players, baseball, and persistence in the face of prejudice.
- Themes
- Resilience, Racism and prejudice, Native representation in sports
- Genres
- Baseball & Softball, Native American Life (U.S.), Sports Biographies for Kids
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports. Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California.
Continue reading
Despite their mutual respect for each other's talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other. However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn’t let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them. They continued to break barriers and went on to play a combined total of nine championships. With text by Traci Sorell and illustrations by Arigon Starr that brings these two players to life, the stories of John Meyers and Charles Bender remain an inspiration for achieving and maintaining one’s dreams in the face of prejudice.
Beyond the Rivalry
A picture-book account of two Native players, baseball, and persistence in the face of prejudice.
Come here for
- Early baseball history through the lives of John Meyers and Charles Bender
- A thoughtful look at representation and resilience in sports
Expect
- Two players’ careers framed against racism and media-made rivalry
- Illustrations by Arigon Starr alongside Traci Sorell’s text
Where it sits
| Sports Biographies for Kids | 87% |
|---|---|
| Native American Life (U.S.) | 51% |
| Baseball & Softball | 41% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Native American Life (U.S.)
- 20th Century U.S.
- Baseball & Softball
- Authors
- Traci Sorell
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- April 11, 2023
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Resilience · Racism and prejudice · Native representation in sports
- Reading lane
- Native American Life (U.S.)