Girl Wonder
A Baseball Story in Nine Innings (with audio recording)
By Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrated by Terry Widener
Table of Contents
About The Book
Inspired by the life of pioneering female baseball player Alta Weiss, and dramatized by Terry Widener’s bold illustrations, Girl Wonder tells the unforgettable story of a true American original.
Alta Weiss was born to play baseball, simple as that. From the age of two, when she hurls a corncob at a pesky tomcat, folks in her small Ohio town know one thing for sure: She may be a girl, but she’s got some arm.
When she’s seventeen, Alta hears about a semipro team, the Independents. Here’s her big chance! But one look at Alta’s long skirts tells Coach all he needs to know—girls can’t play baseball! But faster than you can say “strike out,” Alta proves him wrong: Girls can play baseball!
Alta Weiss was born to play baseball, simple as that. From the age of two, when she hurls a corncob at a pesky tomcat, folks in her small Ohio town know one thing for sure: She may be a girl, but she’s got some arm.
When she’s seventeen, Alta hears about a semipro team, the Independents. Here’s her big chance! But one look at Alta’s long skirts tells Coach all he needs to know—girls can’t play baseball! But faster than you can say “strike out,” Alta proves him wrong: Girls can play baseball!
About The Illustrator
Terry Widener
Terry Widener is an award-winning illustrator whose picture books include Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adler, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book, and America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, also by David A. Adler, a Junior Library Guild Selection. He is also the illustrator of Peg and the Whale by Kenneth Oppel and If the Shoe Fit by Gary Soto. Mr. Widener lives with his wife and three children in McKinney, Texas.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 11, 2013)
- Length: 40 pages
- ISBN13: 9781442484559
- Ages: 5 - 8
- Lexile ® 570L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®
Awards and Honors
- CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
- Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
- Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
- North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Girl Wonder Enhanced eBook 9781442484559
- Author Photo (jpg): Deborah Hopkinson Photo Credit:(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit