Bryan Janky
In All About Roberto Clemente readers ages 9 – 13 years will learn about Roberto Clemente.The New York Dodgers drafted Roberto Clemente to play baseball for them from Puerto Rico where the only language that he knew was Spanish. He was only eighteen years old. At first, fans laughed at his Spanish accent; some even disliked him for the color of his skin. Roberto, however, became one of baseball’s most popular players and greatest hitters while he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even though Roberto Clemente could not speak English and was dark skinned, he proved himself to be a great ball player simply by the way he played the game. He worked very hard to learn English and soon became a baseball icon because of his talent and compassion, and how he overcame prejudices. Because of Roberto Clemente’s success, baseball team owners were willing to draft players from Latin America. He was the first Latin American player to have 3,000 hits and his legacy of kindness and record breaking continues to inspire players.All About Roberto Clemente is illustrated throughout. It is a great read and learning tool for children in grades 4th through 8th.