Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story

K-Gr 3–In a story based on historical events, a Black family—Jimmy and his parents—love ending the day by attending Brewers baseball games together in their Milwaukee neighborhood. Then the fateful events of December 1941 change the world and their lives, putting a stop to their family tradition. Jimmy’s father joins the navy, and his mother goes to work at the night shift in a factory supporting the war effort. While watching a game longingly through the fence of the baseball stadium, Jimmy meets the owner of the Brewers, Mr. Veeck, and their conversation inspires a new wartime phenomenon: morning baseball games. Factory workers and their children are invited to a special game that occurs right after their shift ends and features ushers in nightgowns, doughnuts, and Corn Flakes instead of hotdogs and popcorn; the team’s manager appears in a bed on home plate. While Jimmy and his parents are fictional, the story of morning baseball in Milwaukee is true. An author’s note provides historical context and notes that she chose to portray Jimmy and his family as Black to honor her own grandfather, a decorated electrician in the Navy during World War II. While the bright, colorful illustrations bring to life the 1940s, and this story is an interesting piece of history, its specificity may not hold readers other than die-hard baseball fans.