Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
by Jen Bryan, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Abrams Books for Young Readers (October 6, 2020)
Nonfiction * Autobiography * Basketball
Audience: Ages 7 to 11
IndieBound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads: The story of Elgin Baylor, basketball icon and civil rights advocate, from an all-star team
Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball’s all-time-greatest players—an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was black. One night, Elgin had enough and staged a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA.
Above the Rim is a poetic, exquisitely illustrated telling of the life of an underrecognized athlete and a celebration of standing up for what is right.
Quick thoughts about the book:
Okay, I have a confession to make. I have only watched one full length professional basketball game and it was a WNBA game and I can’t tell you who the L.A. Sparks played that day. When I would take my nephew to his basketball games at the “Y”, I would compare it to a bunch of puppy dogs falling all over each other as they chased a ball. I still don’t understand why people watch basketball. A bunch of people run down the court bouncing and passing a ball and they score. Then back up the court to do the same thing.
For all of my lack of interest in basketball, I was drawn to the cover of Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Frank Morrison. It just calls to you to pick it up and read it.
Since I already confessed my lack of knowledge of basketball, I know you won’t be surprised that I knew nothing about Elgin Baylor. However, by the end of the book, my admiration for Baylor, his sport and his civil rights advocacy grew exponentially.
In a recent Facebook post, I mentioned that I know picture books can take years to come out, but sometimes the timing seems planned. Just a few days before I read Above the Rim, the NBA and WNBA led a protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake by refusing to play. Several NBA teams have offered up their venues as safe socially distance places for voting in November. The NBA is also partnering with Yale researchers to create an effective, rapid test for COVID-19.
I am not surprised that Elgin Baylor protested how he was treated compared to his white teammates. Bryant does a masterful job of placing Baylor into the timeline of the 1950’s and 1960’s Civil Rights Movement with images and references of Rosa Parks, the Little Rock 9, and the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in. Bryant’s poetic writing brings refrains that act as a chorus to a song. All of this is paired with Morrison’s dynamic paintings.
The end pages include an author’s note, recommendations for further reading, a timeline of important events. This is one picture book biography that you won’t want to miss.
Elgin Baylor - Most Underrated Player in NBA History
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