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A Strong Right Arm

The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
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Paperback
$7.99 US
5.06"W x 7.81"H x 0.34"D   | 4 oz | 108 per carton
On sale Mar 08, 2004 | 128 Pages | 978-0-14-240072-2
Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7
Reading Level: Lexile 860L
Motivated by her love for the game and inspired by the legendary Jackie Robinson, Mamie Johnson is determined to be a professional baseball pitcher.  But in a sport that's determined by white men, there is no place for a black woman.  Mamie doesn't give up-from the time she insists on trying out for the all-male, all-white Police Athletic League until she realizes her dream and becomes one of three women to play in the Negro Leagues.  Mamie Johnson's life shows that with courage and perseverance one can overcome even the greatest challenges.
"A winning biography of Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson...the true story of the underdog who succeeds despite tremendous odds." -Booklist
Michelle Y. Green is a graduate of the University of Maryland College of Journalism and the Johns Hopkins University Masters Program in Writing. She teaches "The Art of Writing for Children," and two other courses at The George Washington University School of Continuing Education.

Ms. Green is the author of A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie Peanut Johnson, the true story of the first woman to pitch professional baseball in a men’s league. She is also the author of the award-winning children’s book series, Willie Pearl, a book about her mother set in a Depression-era coal mining town.

Ms. Green lives with her two sons, Bryan and Evan, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where she roots for her favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles.

View titles by Michelle Y. Green
© Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson is the acclaimed illustrator of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom and Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad, both Caldecott Honor Books. His other titles include We Are the Ship, a Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner and Coretta Scott King Award recipient, and Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans. View titles by Kadir Nelson

About

Motivated by her love for the game and inspired by the legendary Jackie Robinson, Mamie Johnson is determined to be a professional baseball pitcher.  But in a sport that's determined by white men, there is no place for a black woman.  Mamie doesn't give up-from the time she insists on trying out for the all-male, all-white Police Athletic League until she realizes her dream and becomes one of three women to play in the Negro Leagues.  Mamie Johnson's life shows that with courage and perseverance one can overcome even the greatest challenges.

Praise

"A winning biography of Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson...the true story of the underdog who succeeds despite tremendous odds." -Booklist

Author

Michelle Y. Green is a graduate of the University of Maryland College of Journalism and the Johns Hopkins University Masters Program in Writing. She teaches "The Art of Writing for Children," and two other courses at The George Washington University School of Continuing Education.

Ms. Green is the author of A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie Peanut Johnson, the true story of the first woman to pitch professional baseball in a men’s league. She is also the author of the award-winning children’s book series, Willie Pearl, a book about her mother set in a Depression-era coal mining town.

Ms. Green lives with her two sons, Bryan and Evan, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where she roots for her favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles.

View titles by Michelle Y. Green
© Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson is the acclaimed illustrator of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom and Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad, both Caldecott Honor Books. His other titles include We Are the Ship, a Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner and Coretta Scott King Award recipient, and Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans. View titles by Kadir Nelson