Bound To Stay Bound

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Booklist - 11/01/2015 *Starred Review* As a child in the 1920s, Mary Garber played tackle football with the boys in her Winston-Salem neighborhood and learned to love the many sports she watched with her father. Later, determined to become a journalist, she reluctantly worked as a society reporter until, during WWII, she took over the sports desk, traditionally “a man’s job.” Jackie Robinson became a role model for the young woman, who endured her own discrimination at the ballparks: banned from press boxes and locker rooms, she was seated with the players’ wives. Garber earned a reputation for fairness, covering games at local black high schools, a departure from standard practice in the segregated South. She wrote her last article in 2002. In this well-researched picture-book biography, Macy introduces Garber as a person who followed her passion for sports, despite her mother’s disapproval, and did her job with purpose, integrity, and dignity. The narrative is swiftly paced, smoothly written, and filled with interesting details and quotes. Payne’s soft-focus mixed-media illustrations feature beautifully delineated period settings and a masterful use of composition for dramatic effect. Best of all, even in crowd scenes, people are portrayed with perception, individuality, and humanity—especially Garber. A lively, memorable biography for younger readers. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 02/01/2016 Gr 2–4—A heartfelt, informative, and thoroughly engaging picture book biography about groundbreaking sports reporter Mary Garber (1916–2008). Garber became a sportswriter at a time when there were few women in the field, when women were not welcome in the press box, in the locker room, or on the sidelines. Her love of sports, her fierce determination, and her independent spirit gave her the tools she needed to succeed. She became known for reporting on teams and people who were out of the mainstream, athletes whom other sportswriters wouldn't even consider, such as African American individuals and college teams. Her admiration of Jackie Robinson inspired her to face her detractors with stoicism and grace and to go about doing the best job she could. In Macy's adept hands, Garber comes to life, from her childhood antics on the football field to her important work giving a fair shake to kids and athletes she thought deserved more attention. Payne's mixed-media art lends itself well to the topic. His paintings fill the pages with movement and humor, and the characters' expressions draw the eye and complement the tone of the narrative. Pair this entertaining biography with a few about other women journalists, such as Nellie Bly, for a more in-depth examination of an area that is often overlooked in children's literature. VERDICT An excellent and welcome addition to any elementary biography collection.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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