Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen by Marissa Moss

Moss, Marissa. (2004). Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-4.

Author Credibility:
Moss provides the reader with a bibliography that explains where she obtained her sources. This book was also a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.

Summary:
Jackie Mitchell loved baseball as a little girl. She knew girls did not play baseball, but her father told her that she could do anything if she worked hard enough. So, she practiced hard everyday. She was playing with the Chattanooga Lookouts when she had the opportunity to pitch in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. First up to bat was the mighty Babe Ruth. He was determined not to be embarrassed by a girl, despite this he struck out. Next up was Lou Gehrig. He struck out to. The crowd went wild. In the author’s note the author tells the reader that Jackie’s contract with the Lookouts was voided. She continued to play in little known minor league teams. She soon tired of this, because she felt she was part of a sideshow. She eventually gave up baseball.

Standards:
Social Studies
-Individual Development and Identity
-Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by C. F. Payne. They consist of paintings that illustrate the text.

Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Bibliography

How I would use the book in the classroom:
This story would be interesting to a lot of students because of the content of baseball. I would use this book for enjoyment and getting students interested in reading. This is important for beginning readers. This book could be as a source of motivation. It tells the story of hard work, and following a dream. I would also use this book to discuss a side of baseball that is often over looked.

My response to the book:
I loved this book. What determination Jackie Mitchell had. She was not intimidated by the biggest names in baseball. She did not back down when the crowd was ready and waiting for her to mess up. Even growing up in a “baseball family” I had never heard this story. It was a great story.

Related Texts:
* Mama Played Baseball by David A. Adler
*A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Sue Macy
*When Women Played Hardball by Johnson

Other:
This book is a partial biography of Jackie Mitchell. The cover is a drawing of Jackie Mitchell. When you look in her eyes you see determination. The verso page is a black and white photograph of Jackie. This photograph is from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. Jackie’s signature on the front and back cover is also from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On the title page a little girl stands on the mound of a big stadium waiting to pitch. The first word in the book is “it.” The “i” in “it” is a baseball bat.