I knew about Hank Aaron and his on the field accomplishments prior to this biography such as him owning the home-run record until recently Barry Bonds broke it; however, I I did not know about all of the off the field issues he had to overcome as being one of the first African-Americans to play the game of baseball. Through hard work and determination to be the best baseball player he could be, Hank Aaron overcame all odds, death threats, and the hatred he faced to become one of the most successful and influential baseball players of all time. He was hated by people of the nation; however, by the end of his career, he was praised with more love which helped overcome any hatred pointed in his direction. ( )

This book is related to black history. ( )

Hank Aaron was born on February 5,1934 to his father, Herbert, and his mother, Estella. During the time of the Great Depression, his father had difficulty finding work and finally saved enough to buy some outside of Mobile, Alabama. However, he did not have money to buy a house or even wood. When Hank was 8 years old, his father finally built a house using used boards from a torn down house. It had no lights, no windowpanes, no bathrooms, and no bathrooms, but nearby there was an open field for playing ball. Hank's goal was to become a major league baseball player, but African Americans were prohibited from playing in the major leagues. When Hank was 13, Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to join the major leagues. When he was sixteen, he was offered to play in a local baseball team. He mother allowed him to play as long as he stayed in school and graduated. After a second year with the team, he was offered a spot on the Indianapolis Clowns. Although Hank had to leave his home and family, he was strong and impressed many with his talent. In 1954, he joined the Milwaukee Braves. He become the leading home run hitters and in 1956, he became the youngest player to ever win a National League batting title. In 1957 and 1958, his hitting led the braves to league championships. He wanted to try to break Babe Ruth's home run record. The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 putting Hank closer to home. He began receiving many nasty letters including insults, names, and death threats for trying to break a white persons record. Soon the news started to publish these stories and he gained much support from others. In 1974 season, he broke the record with 715 home runs. His parents were there to see this and his mother hugged him as he crossed home plate. He had fulfilled his dreams in front of an entire nation. That night Hank thanked God for pulling him through.
This was a really good book. I enjoyed reading it and learning about Hank Aaron. He was an inspiration to many. He taught us to always follow your dreams. ( )

I liked this book for two reasons. The first reason is the illustrations in the text enhance the story and the fits the style of the written text. The illustrations do not use bright colors and typically use duller colors, such as a dark green or gray. This helps the audience understand that this is a story about someone's past, because the antiqued colors help create the feeling of history with the readers. For example, on page 18, the illustration has many letters and notes from Hank Aaron's fans. Rather than using white paper, the illustrator chose to use a yellow color, showing the age and how long ago this happened. The illustrations help to enhance the story by helping to develop a sense of history with the audience. I also like this book because the language was descriptive. The language helped show Hank Aaron and his obstacles in a positive manner, allowing the audience to really understand the struggles that Hank Aaron overcame to become a professional baseball player. For example, the author writes, "Blacks were prohibited from playing in the major leagues. But that didn't stop Hank from dreaming. And America was beginning to change" (p. 7). By providing the audience with the appropriate background knowledge, the language helps the audience truly understand the importance that Hank Aaron made in history. The author's point of view in this story is unbiased, as he states both Aaron's strengths and weaknesses in the story. The text provided an appropriate level of details for the targeted audience, and accurately depicts Hank Aaron's life. The big idea of this book is to showcase Aaron's accomplishments and motivate the audience to be determined with their dreams. ( )

This book tells the story of Hank Aaron, the baseball player to break Babe Ruth's home run record. He was also one of the first African Americans in the Major League. It's a touching story, which would be great for not only Black History Month but any coach during baseball season. It tells how you can work hard and still achieve your goals. ( )