Male Monday: Jim & Me

Jim & Me (Baseball Card Adventures) by Dan Gutman 2008
HarperCollins

Rating: 4/5

IQ "'Whenever I mess up, they say my brain isn't as smart as a white man's.' Jim said. 'And when I do good, they say I'm a savage who was raised with a fighting spirit. But I'm a man, just like any other.'" Jim pg. 143

In Jim & Me, Joey Stoshack (nicknamed Stosh) is approached by his arch-nemesis, Bobby Fuller for a favor. Bobby wants Stosh to take him back in time to meet his great grandfather, Jim Thorpe. Stosh can travel through time when he touches a baseball card, Bobby was an accidental witness to this (long story and this is the first book I read in the series even though it's not the first one). Bobby wants to clear Jim's name. Jim was considered the greatest athlete in the world, people didn't care that he was Native American. However, Thorpe lost all his 1912 Olympic medals in a scandal and people don't look too kindly upon him. Stosh puts aside his misgivings and agrees to help; only because he wants to meet Jim Thorpe, Christy Mathewson, John McGraw and all the other great New York Giants. But once they arrive, all the boys do is argue.

The story was quite enjoyable. I learned a lot about Jim Thorpe, baseball, and the state of athletic competitions in the early 1900s. It wasn't fair; Jim lost his medals because he wasn't considered an amateur since he had played baseball previously to participating in the Olympics and got paid for it. this made him a professional. The point is made in the book (and I completely agree) that this would never hold up today. Can you imagine only having amateurs participating in the Olympics? It would be interesting but not as exciting. Jim Thorpe was an amazing athlete; he ran track (he did everything from pole vaulting to running to throwing the javelin), played football, basketball and baseball. His reputation was ruined when his medals were taken away, except that baseball teams wanted to hire him to sell more seats. Jim ended up joining the New York Giants and it was not a good fit.

I was astonished and amused by the baseball games during the 1900s. It was basically a free for all and everyone broke the rules (well the rules we have today, there weren't really any rules back then). For example, during a game, John McGraw asks the pitcher if he can see the ball. The pitcher hesitates, but then throws McGraw the ball. McGraw doesn't touch it, he simply urges the runner on third to "go!" This was considered legal because "If you throw away the ball, you're a fool." This book also handles the issue of racism quite well. Jim faces derogatory remarks not only from the opposing side fans, but from his own fans as well (see the IQ above). Also, some coaches tried to pass African American players off as Native Americans since African Americans were barred from playing baseball at this time. Jim wasn't that great of a baseball player; he excelled at other sports, but baseball was not his thing. It didn't help that his manager, John McGraw was a jerk (not completely) and didn't work well with Jim.

Jim & Me is a satisfying read that immerses readers in the world of the 1900s through baseball, racism and the setting. Some facts shared may be lost on non-baseball fans or even people who like baseball but don't know the complete history of the game (like me). I also liked how the contemporary storyline did not get lost in the past, Stosh and Bobby have their ups and their downs. They make some pretty crazy accusations against one another, but they are entertaining to read about. "Boys" *shakes head in amusement* I decided to read this book because my brother really likes this series. He doesn't like to read and will only read books about sports AND they have to be a series. I know, he's weird. Anyway, I was curious to read a book in the series that got him reading and the series is pretty diverse (Stosh has other books where he meets Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson), so I was thrilled. 4th grade and up.

PS I think this review came off as a more of a history lesson. Sorry!

Peacebuilders: Daisaku Ikeda & Josei Toda, Buddhist Leaders

Peacebuilders: Daisaku Ikeda & Josei Toda, Buddhist Leaders: A biography by M. LaVora Perry ARC
Forest Hill Publishing, LLC

Release date; March 16, 2010

Rating: 4/5

IQ "Sometimes we lose in life, but that doesn't mean we'll always lose." Josei Toda pg. 36

So I'm really not sure how to review an early reader biography. This is my first such review so bear with me, it's going to be basic because I think there is only so much you can say. But if you think I can say more, leave a comment telling me so and I will edit this review to include it, I definitely want feedback on this one.

First a word about the publisher, Forest Hill Publishing. Forest Hill Publishing looks for stories about organ and tissue transplants. They also only accept stories about Buddhism and its principles which I think is pretty neat (how many publishing companies for children can you think of that publish about a religion in a non-preachy way?).

I finished this book feeling satisfied and at peace. There's something about reading about the beauty, calmness and peacefulness of the Buddhism religion that always puts me at ease (OK so I've never heard another book about Buddhism exclusively, but I have read books that touch upon the subject and I have attended a few services). The story of Daisaku Ikeda & Josei Toda is told in a factual, non preachy way. The author is not trying to convert people to Buddhism, she simply wants to share the history of her faith.

Josei Toda was the second president of Soka Gaaki (a Buddhist organization in Japan) and he was mentor and teacher extraordinaire to Daisaku Ikeda who is the current leader of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International, the world's largest Buddhist organization). Mr. Ikeda would not be the respected and revered leader he is today without the guidance of Mr. Toda. Mr. Ikeda took an organization that Mr. Toda really helped to build and increase membership from Japan to all over the world. Japan was the foundation, Mr. Ikeda became the third president of the SG after Mr. Toda died and expanded SG into the U.S., Canada and Brazil, thus creating SGI. Mr. Ikeda is an amazing man, he works hard to promote peace (every year he sends the U.N. a proposal for world peace and the removal of all nuclear weapons!) and he has met many famous people (including Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and Corazon Aquino). He is a true inspiration.

There were some confusing parts in the book, for example the first half of the book is about the story of Mr. Ikeda and Mr. Toda, and the second part is about their history, it's essentially the same thing and I think that could be combined. Also, in the beginning it wasn't clear during what war Daisaku lived through, it wasn't until the end of the book when I got to the timeline did I realized it was WWII (which I suspected but it could have been another war in Japan that I didn't know about). The author makes good use of images that help readers visualize both men and their Japan.

This story is quite accessible to all young readers I think they will read it and learn something. It's not funny but there are some light-hearted moments and I think this book can help promote tolerance and understanding of the Buddhist beliefs. We need more books like this that help explain about faith and the leaders of the religion in a way that people can understand and not feel as if that religion is being shoved down their throat, it helps promote global awareness in our young and that is something society desperately needs. ages 8-11

Note: I will most likely not review another early reader book. This has nothing to do with this book, more to do with the reading level. Interesting story but the wording and concepts was too simple (perfect for the intended audience though!)

"A great inner change in just a single person will...enable a change in the destiny of all humankind." Daisaku Ikeda (Wonderful quote!)

Disclosure: Received from the author, thank you LaVora!