We are the Ship

Title: We are the Ship the story of Negro League Baseball
Author/Illustrator : Nelson, Jadir\Publisher : Jump at the Sun/ Hyperion, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-780
Dewey : 796.357 Classification : nonfiction
Interest level : 3rd- 8th grade
Reading level : 6.0

Plot summary
This is a first for Kadir Nelson. He both wrote and illustrated this nonfiction text. The title came from the motto of the Negro National leagues, : We are the ship; all else is the sea.". Mr. Nelson describes what is what like to be a part of this baseball league as seen from the eye of a third party who seems to be an elderly player who was part of this whole experience. Mr. Nelson relates the suffering and the triumph of being part of this history in a narrative that reads like a story being told, rather then just a list of dry facts.
The text is set up with a baseball theme of innings. Each section is an inning rather then a chapter. Each inning tells of a specific time in the history of the Negro leagues. The last chapter or extra inning tells about the end of these leagues.
The book begins with a very moving introduction from Hank Aaron. Mr. Aaron not only introduces the text but says a thank you to all those who paved the way for Aaron and others to reach their potential greatness.
After the actual narrative Mr. Nelson includes; an authors note, end notes, acknowledgements, a bibliography, and a filmography. As part of the history of the leagues one will also find two lists that are important to the understanding of this part of history; first a list of Negro leagurers who made it to the majors, and second is a list of Negro leagurers who are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Critical Analysis
The text is illustrated in color. The illustrations include a double fold-out of the first Colored World series lineup. The pictures of the players make them seem larger then life. The players look intense and determined. What I didn't really see in the pictures is the sense of joy the players had in being part of the game that is so well described in the text. One example is the picture of Willie Foster and some young fans. Ther is no joy or excitment of the game seen on any of the faces. The fans look almost sad and yet the text describes the scene in this manner, " ... it was a big deal when a Negro league team came to town. It was like a family reunion. They would barbecue and play music." With a few exceptions the pictures show the angry and frustration of the players. These players suffered much to accomplish what they did and this needs to be part of this important story, but there were victories achieved even as this was happening. The student reader will get much from the pictures and will take away a sense of the struggle and suffering but not of the pride and determination to play the game if they only look at the pictures and not thoroughly digest the words.
The visual access features truly stand as the illustrations draw attention to the topic in a very dramatic way. The fold-out is particularly well done. The pages are a replica of the ticket for the world series and when you open it up there is a panoramic picture of the entire line up for this series. There is no table of contents to let the reader know how the text is organize. A quick scan of the book will let you see that the book is set up in baseball fashion through the use of innings. Each inning has a title and a quote that relates to the particular period being discussed.Mr. Nelson has a style of writing that has the spellbinding effect of listening to a storyteller. This is true to the culture and except that the stories are true is similar to the story-telling tradition found in works of fiction like, "Porch Lies."

Review Excerpts
Booklist starred (February 1, 2008 (vol. 104, No. 11) "... reads like an old timer regaling his grandchildren with tales of baseball greats."
Horn Book (may/June, 2008) "...Nelson's extensive research... yields loads of attention gradding, details how much money players made, when where and how often games took place, and who the standout owners, managers, and playersplayers were...His grand slam though is the art."
Library Media Connection (February 2008) ",,, this book will affect readers because of the full and double page realistic paintings and immerse the reader in the compelling story being told."
Publishers Weekly (January 7, 2008) "Using a folksy venacular, a fictional player give an insider account of segarated baseball, explaining the aggressive style of play... and recalling favorite players.... Mr. Nelsons muscular paintings serve as the true draw."
School Library Journal (January 1, 2008) "...he offers a readable account that is infused with an air of nostalgia and history."

Awards
Blue Bonnet Honor Book
Coretta Scott King
Oprah Book List

Connections
This book is text rich and would be overwhelming to read from cover to cover. Each inning covers a wealth of information. There are numerous ways to use this text to support curriculum and student knowledge.
As an introduction to writing that is told from the third person this is an excellent nonfiction example. The teacher/librarian could do a read-a-loud using one of the innings and as it is read do a think-a-loud. This would give the students a model of the process and a chance to see how good nonfiction can be written in styles other then just a presentation of facts. The students could be paired and each pair could be responsible to read an inning to get experience with this style of writing. Each pair could then research further on their era of baseball history and write their own inning. A fun web site that lists many first in baseball for the students to look at; http://www.baseball-almanac-.com/frstmenu,
The 9th inning begins with a story that would be an effective piece for oral intrepretation presentations on the part of students. It also lends it self well as a fluency practice piece.
During Black History month this book would be an excellent addition to any display for students to see and read. The accomplishments of these black Americans should be a real sense of pride for all students. They did not give up in the face of adversity they saw the problem and sought their own solutions. Students will be able to appreciate what it takes to succeed despite odds and this is a very important lesson in this day of instant gratification.