Honoring Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson Day is a traditional event which occurs annually on April 15, commemorating and honoring the day Jackie Robinson made his major league baseball debut. Here is a list of books for young readers about the life and importance of this trailblazing figure in American history.
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Jackie Robinson: American Hero, by Sharon Robinson (Scholastic) — Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Sports / Games / Recreation, History, ages 7-12.
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America, by Sharon Robinson (Scholastic) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, ages 7-12.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson, by Barry Denenberg (Scholastic / Scholastic Paperbacks) — Biography / Memoir, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Sports / Games / Recreation, ages 7-12.
Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson, by Sharon Robinson; illustrated by Nelson Kadir (Scholastic) — Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Sports / Games / Recreation, Family / Community, ages 7-12.
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Athletes for Racial Equity: Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, and More, by Dani Borden, Sibylla Nash (Capstone Press) — Sports / Games / Recreation, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 7-12.
Jackie Robinson Takes the Field, by Elliott Smith; illustrated by János Orbán (Capstone Press) — History, Sports / Games / Recreation, Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, ages 7-12.
Jackie Robinson: Baseball’s Great Pioneer, by Jason Glaser; illustrated by Bob Lentz, Cynthia Martin, Anne Timmons (Capstone Press) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, ages 7-12.
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42 Is Not Just a Number: The Odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American Hero, by Doreen Rappaport (Candlewick Press) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, History, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, ages 7-12.
Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter, by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long (Macmillan / Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)) — Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, Sports / Games / Recreation, Biography / Memoir, History, ages 0-3.
The Good Guys Agency #2: Brave Like Jackie Robinson, by Nick Esposito; illustrated by Ricardo Tokumoto (Bushel & Peck) — Sports / Games / Recreation, Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, ages 7-12.
I am Jackie Robinson, by Brad Meltzer; illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos (Penguin Random House / Rocky Pond Books) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, History, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, ages 7-12.
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Jackie Robinson: Legends in Sports, by Matt Christopher; illustrated by Glenn Stout (Hachette Book Group / Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) — Biography / Memoir, Careers / Hobbies, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, ages 7-12.
Jackie Robinson, by Sally M. Walker; illustrated by Rodney Pate (Lerner Publishing Group / First Avenue Editions ™, Millbrook Press ™) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 7-12.
Jackie Robinson, by David Lee Morgan Jr. (North Star Editions / Focus Readers) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 7-12.
Jackie’s Bat, by Marybeth Lorbiecki; illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Simon & Schuster / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) — Sports / Games / Recreation, History, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, BIPOC Characters and Creators, ages 4-6.
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Stealing Home—Jackie Robinson: Against the Odds, by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Mike Wimmer (Simon & Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 7-12.
Trailblazers—Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers in Baseball, by Kurtis Scaletta (Random House Children’s Books / Random House BFYR) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 7-12.
The United States v. Jackie Robinson, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (HarperCollins) — Biography / Memoir, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, History, ages 4-6.
Who Was Jackie Robinson?, by Gail Herman, Who HQ; illustrated by John O’Brien (Penguin Random House / Penguin Workshop) — Sports / Games / Recreation, Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, ages 7-12.
Who Was Jackie Robinson?, by Lisbeth Kaiser, Who HQ; illustrated by Stanley Chow (Penguin Random House / Published by Rise x Penguin Workshop) — Biography / Memoir, Careers / Hobbies, Sports / Games / Recreation, BIPOC Characters and Creators, ages 0-3.
Check out more Diversity booklists and resources, and our Inclusivity Resources.
