Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy

Written by Phil Bildner

Illustrated by C.F. Payne

No Awards

This story of Shoeless Joe Jackson covers his baseball career and his superstitions about his bat, Black Betsy. In the story, we read about the success of the baseball player and his belief that a baseball player is only as good as their bat. Because of this, he works closely with a friend to create the perfect baseball bat that he uses in every game.  

My favorite thing about this book was the illustrations, they were so well thought out and beautifully detailed. I would use this book as a resource if my students decided to do a project over a person they admired or looked up to. In seventh grade, I had to write a paper about a "celebrity" that I looked up to, and if that was atopic in my curriculum, I would allow this to be a topic.