Mark Simont – illustratör

For young readers, a story about an immigrant girl inspired by the sport she loves to find her own home team—and to break down any barriers in her way.

Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn''t know any English, so it''s hard to make friends.

Then a miracle happens: baseball! It''s 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is a superstar. Suddenly Shirley is playing stickball with her class and following Jackie as he leads the Brooklyn Dodgers to victory after victory.

With her hero smashing assumptions and records on the ball field, Shirley begins to feel that America is truly the land of opportunity—and perhaps has also become her real home.

“Bette Bao Lord''s wonderfully humorous story shows what it means to be an American from the eyes of a spunky young immigrant.” —School Library Journal

Illustrations by Mark Simont