Let Them Play
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\ Children's LiteratureThis book tells the true story of the 11- and 12-year-old boys on a black little league team who cared more about the chance to play ball than about the social issues of the day in segregated South Carolina. The author revisits the events of the summer of 1955, when all of the white teams pulled out of little league rather than play against the one black team, the Cannon Street All Stars. Not even the classy uniforms their parents and community leaders raised the funds to purchase could brighten the sadness of the boys who held the title of state champions only by default. An invitation to attend the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, turned out to be another low blow—the boys found out they would not be allowed to play because they had never actually played a game during the season. The title of the book is taken from the shouts of the crowd when the Cannon Street All Stars entered the stadium and sat in the bleachers at the Little League World Series. Illustrations capture the emotional realities of the era. 2005, Sleeping Bear Press/Thompson Gale, $ 16.95. Ages 6 to 12. \ —Carole J. McCollough\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalGr 2-5-This picture book brings to light a shameful incident in the history of Little League baseball. In 1955, there existed one all-black chapter of Little League teams in Charleston, SC. After the coaches selected a 14-member all-star squad in hopes of playing in the state's annual tournament, all of the white teams in the region withdrew rather than play a black team. The Charleston Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars won the state title by default. They were invited to Williamsport, PA, to watch but not play in the World Series. Raven's tone throughout is positive, but her prose stumbles a bit at times as in: "[It was] A chant that said you can't steal a boy's dream to succeed, like a Jackie Robinson slide into home." The poignant message of this tale rings true even today, and Ellison's lovely paintings lend strong support to the meaning and emotion of the text.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \
