We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Nelson, K. (2008).  We are the ship: the story of Negro League Baseball.  New York: Hyperion.

This beautifully illustrated book tells the history of the Negro Baseball League from the 1920’s until the league started falling apart in 1945 when Jackie Robison signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The book focuses on all the heroes, known and unknown who made the league great. The reader travels with the league through a span of about 25 years (in 9 chapters or innings) learning about what made these players so amazing. They played ball all over the United States and occasionally in Latin American countries as well. The Negro Baseball League dismantled in 1960 once its best players were recruited to the Major Leagues.

We Are the Ship is a great historical book for fifth grade and older, especially for the students who love sports; especially baseball. It covers the ups and the many downs of being an African American ball player in the early 1900’s. It reports the difficulties segregation caused along with the poor pay and harsh schedules. It discusses how differently (and unfairly) the players in the Negro League were treated in comparison with the players in the Major League. The easy to read narrative pulls the reader into a compelling part of American History.

2009 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration