Anybody's Game: The Story of the First Girl To Play Little League Baseball

Gr 2–4—Kathryn "Tubby" Johnston wants nothing more than to play baseball—and has the skills to do it. The only problem: it's 1950 and girls aren't allowed to play. So the trailblazer disguises herself as a boy and makes the team. In this picture book biography, Lang doesn't leave baseball lovers stranded on base as game-related terminology is sprinkled throughout. Puglesi's digital artwork adds depth to the text, showing strong emotions on the characters' faces and containing fun hidden gems, especially for Yankees fans (notice the magazines and posters). The text works nicely with the illustrations and would make for a good one-on-one read. The back matter is rather slight. Lang includes an author's note, which explains the legal fight for girls to play Little League, and a time line. Readers are told in the acknowledgements that sources can be found at the author's website. While Lang swings for the fences, she settles for a solid double.