"Being deaf in the major leagues wasn't easy...."
Ages: 6 - 10
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Location: Ohio, USA
Pages: 32
Time Period: late 1800s
To those living in the 1880s, a deaf professional baseball player seemed impossible. Yet William Ellsworth Hoy, who lost his hearing very young, still dreamed of stealing bases and batting the ball out of the field. One day, he got his chance! There would, however, be a lot of challenges. Not many people knew the American Sign Language like his family did. Nor did they think that Hoy belonged on the baseball field. Read The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game by Nancy Churnin to discover how this determined man overcame cultural and physical barriers to become one of the greatest baseball players of his time!
Do not miss the "More About William Hoy" and the "Timeline" located in the back of this picture book to learn even more about William Hoy.
Related Reads
Nancy Churnin also wrote another picture book that is a personal favorite of mine called The Queen and the First Christmas Tree.
Resources:
You can find videos, activities, crafts and more that relate to this book on our Pinterest boards below!
Content Warnings
Content that some individuals may find controversial or objectionable. Attention was given to include content which may offend people of a particular culture, race or religion and details which the sensitive child may find unsettling or troublesome.
"No Spoilers" offers a summary of content issues while avoiding spoilers. "With Spoilers" lists the potential content issues in detail.
No Spoilers:
There are moments of prejudice, depicted in the book and mentioned in the back content, towards William Hoy because he was deaf.
With Spoilers:
Past Philosophies and Ideologies
Listed below are the instances of prejudice against Hoy that have been included in the book.
Within the story:
A manager offers Hoy less money than his teammates.
People talk behind Hoy's back and cover their mouths so he won't understand.
A player publicly humiliates Hoy by giving the wrong signal. Illustration shows both that player and the audience laughing at Hoy. The next page shows Hoy crying.
Within the back content:
In William Hoy's time, people who were deaf and mute were called "dummy." Hoy takes on the nickname "Dummy Hoy."
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