The Greatest Story Never Told: The Babe and Jackie
Grade 2&ndash;3&mdash;This slight story makes some heavy-handed points about overcoming racism and adversity. It begins with two young patients of different races who have been forced to share a hospital room. Skippy has cancer and Connor has diabetes, and they both want another roommate. They are awakened from naps by Batboy Ray, who whisks them back in time to meet Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. The athletes spout truisms about getting along with others, being a team player, and never giving up. The boys also encounter a teenaged Roberto Clemente; Negron's real-life mentor, George Steinbrenner; and Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. Soon the boys are the best of friends. This unoriginal tale clumsily uses two of baseball's greatest heroes to hammer home its obvious points; the weak story sinks under the weight of its overbearing message.&mdash;Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.