Clemente!

by Willie Perdomo, Bryan Collier (Illustrator)

A little boy named Clemente learns about his namesake, the great baseball player Roberto Clemente, in this joyful picture book biography.
Born in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente was the first Latin American player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the only player for whom the five-year initiation period was waived. Known not only for his exceptional baseball skills but also for his extensive charity work in Latin America, Clemente was well-loved during his eighteen years playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died in a plane crash while bringing aid supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Willie Perdomo's rhythmic text and Bryan Collier's energetic art combine to tell the amazing story of one of baseball's greats.

Clemente! is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Sports, Nonfiction, Baseball, Childrens, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2010

About the author

Willie Perdomo is the author Where a Nickel Costs a Dime and Smoking Lovely, which received a PEN America Beyond Margins Award. He has also been published in The New York Times Magazine and Bomb and his children's book, Visiting Langston, received a Coretta Scott King Honor. He is a NYFA Arts Fellowship winner, Pushcart Prize nominee, a Urban Artists Initiative/NYC grant recipient and was recently a Woolrich Fellow in Creative Writing at Columbia University. He is currently Artist-in-Residence, Workspace, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. He is co-founder/publisher of Cypher Books.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why this book won the 2011 Americas Award. Both the text and the pictures are beautiful. I loved the mixed media on each page, I spent a long time starting at each one. I had heard of Roberto Clemente and his baseball skills but this book opened my eyes to everything else. He played, and continues to play a large role in so many people's lives. He is such an excellent role model for Latino Americans for so many reasons- his strength, abilities, and, most importantly, his generosity.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIENCE: Primary

GENRE: Biography, Multicultural Literature

AWARD: 2011 Americas Award

QUOTES THAT PROMOTE MENTAL IMAGES:

"But he never gave up, nunca abandono sueno, and they named bridges and schools after him, parks and pools after him." (p. 25)

I selected this quote because I feel that it promotes perseverance and gives beautiful imagery to the lasting legacy of Roberto Clemente. It makes readers stop and think about the lasting memorials our society has, such as parks, schools, and bridges and calls us to reflect on the true reason why these are named after people. Roberto Clemente is not honored purely because he was a Puerto Rican baseball player and the first Latin American player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Clemente is honored because he never gave up. I think that it is important to focus on Clemente's story as inspirational because he worked hard and never settled for less. I also like how this quote begins with "but he never gave up" because it puts this idea at the forefront of readers minds right away as they imagine a country full of parks, schools, and bridges honoring an inspirational legacy.

In this story, a little boy named Clemente learns about his namesake Roberto Clemente. Roberto Clemente is described as "the best athlete he had ever seen", humanitarian, and inspiration. The little boy in the story wants to bring him for "Hero Day at school" and shares with us not only his exceptional baseball skills, but also his dignity in the face of prejudice and compassion for those in need. These examples exemplify the many reasons why Roberto Clemente is honored throughout our nation and reaffirms this quote from page 25. The quote is a succinct way to capture the theme of this biography, while conjuring powerful images in readers' minds.

[538am_Kelly O'Hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biography in picture book form, Clemente explains the life of Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente, the first Latin American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. Children aged 7-9 will enjoy the story told by a child their own age who is a modern-day fan of Clemente and is named after him. The illustrations are complex paintings that support the subject matter. For example, in a picture showing him batting there are stars flying everywhere to show the power of his batting ability.

What I really loved was the use of Spanish interwoven with the English text. "He never gave up, nunca abandon su sueno" is an inspirational message for kids to go for their dreams no matter what obstacles are put in front of them. The subject matter will appeal to sports fans but is also a story that will appeal to all children. It does not focus on baseball nor the statistics for this player. It might spark interested children to want to research more details about his playing and his life. He was a good role model because he was close to his family and gave of his time to charities.

The book received a Kirkus starred review.

[Jenna Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clemente! by Willie Perdomo is a Monarch Award winning book and I can see why. The target audience would be children interested in sports (especially baseball) and Hispanic Americans. This book would make an excellent read-aloud to a bilingual class, or any class that has knowledge of both languages. The book has Spanish words sprinkled here and there. Most of the words would be understandable to English speakers through the use of context and/or cognates. I will be adding this book to my curriculum in 4th grade, during our study of culture and famous Latinos. I believe classroom teachers who are interested in recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month would enjoy reading this book or suggesting it to their class. It would also make an excellent addition to a classroom library. It is realistic nonfiction. Facts about Roberto Clemente, the baseball player, are accurate. A family naming their child after someone who is deceased but beloved would be relatable to many children. Many children are named after family members or famous individuals their family feels connected to.

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great example of a baseball biography in picture book form. The illustrations are beautiful. The information is presented simply enough for young children. Growing up in a baseball household, and quickly becoming an avid Cincinnati Reds fan, there wasn't a former opposing player spoken more fondly of by my father than Roberto Clemente. My dad is a huge fan of the game and loves the legends. Even in his telling of the legends to me and of his respect for their abilities, some fan speak and loyalty to his team and hopes came through, but not of Clemente. He must've made quite an impact to the people in his lives, and to the fans who were so lucky to watch him - both hometown and opposing fans. To have his life cut short, with all the selflessness and giving he lived by, is a tragedy for the people in his life and the people he set out to give to. This is a good story, again, not just of baseball and a legend of the game, but life itself. In my opinion, no other sport is able to transcend life and what we strive to reach for and obtain than baseball.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Primary
Genre: Realistic fiction, Biography
Quotation that promotes mental images: "He'll take out his baseball card collection and pull all his mint condition Clementes, and then he'll start calling Clemente, I mean really calling him, like he was trying to talk to the ghost of Roberto Clemente. Clemente! Clemente! It's us, !tu genre! Clemente! Clemente! Prince of the baseball diamante, Canon-arm Clemente, Puerto Rican prince Clemente, Hall-of-Fame Clemente."

Rationale: I chose this quotation because the reader can not only see but also hear the father's enthusiasm and love of Roberto Clemente. The reader can see him take out his prized collection of mint baseball cards and say the name Clemente with a reverence as he refers to him as a prince of the baseball diamond and as having a canon-arm and being Puerto Rican. This passage is rich in visual and auditory imagery.

[L13F_Jana Wilkening · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are just GORGEOUS! I spent a good 20 minutes just looking at the images before I even began reading the story. In this story, a young boy named Clemente shares information about his namesake Roberto Clemente. I learned so much about Roberto Clemente from this picture book. What an amazing man! I am going to use this book with my middle schoolers when we talk about biographies. This book presents incredible biographical information in such an engaging way. These are the types of books that will meet the nonfiction focus of the Common Core while engaging our students. I also love the poetic language of this book. For example, "When the teacher takes attendance and calls Clemente-you stand up and say Presente!" The pictures, language, and information in this book are incredible! I would use it in grades K-8.

[Sara Bowen]

Audience: primary and/or intermediate
Genre: historical fiction
Quote that provided a mental image:
"Clemente! Clemente! It's us, tu gente! Clemente! Clemente! Prince of the baseball diamanté! Canon arm Clemente! Puerto Rican prince! Clemente!"

This book gives great mental images (as well as fantastic watercolor illustrations in the book) of the life of Roberto Clemente and the overwhelming greatness the fans felt for him (above). This is not just a man of greatness on the baseball field but also outside of the baseball field in real life as well. This quote leads me to believe that anyone who saw Clemente would not forget him and that he was truly a man of many greatnesses.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Grade 1-3, baseball/sport lovers, Spanish teachers
Appeal: integrates Spanish language, poetic form, warmly shows parent-child bond, inspiring, watercolor and collage images

(2011 Americas Award Winner)

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring portrait of Clemente and a great introduction to his life and career. Collier's illustration are, as usual, stunning.

[Emily Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clemente! is the true story of baseball player Roberto Clemente and his journey from Puerto Rico to the United States. The book highlights how he overcame the struggles of language barriers and discrimination by relying on perseverance. The book not only shows his love for baseball, but using his platform for social change and helping others. This book is suited for readers in grades 3-5. This book may appeal to students who enjoy sports, or are looking to learn about historical figures and potential role models. This book would make a great addition to a classroom library because it shows how to use your platform for good. Key themes and topics of this book include: humanitarian, leadership, Puerto Rico, language barrier, discrimination, determination, perseverance, and cultural identity.

[Kayla Rhome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot Summary:
- “Clemente!” is a picture book biography by William Perdomo. This biography is about a young boy who learns his name is named after a famous major league baseball player named Roberto Clemente. The story tells the life of Roberto Clemente as a child, teenager, being drafted into the major leagues, getting married, becoming a father of three sons, and his tragic death. Roberto Clemente decided he wanted to help out with the earthquake that destroyed Nicaragua. On his flight over there his plane never made it the whole way over and landed somewhere in the ocean. Roberto was never found. Less than a year after his death, Roberto Clemente was declared the first Latino baseball player to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Prior to this event, a player could only be elected into the hall of fame if it was at least 5 years after their death. Roberto Clemente’s inspiration and story still live on.
Literary Merit:
- Looking at this biography, I would say that the plot is the most important and noteworthy literary element. William Perdomo does a great job at telling the inspirational story of Roberto Clemente through pictures and words. Without the plot of Roberto’s life story the story would not be as great and inspirational as it is. The plot summary of this story is a very noteworthy literary element to the biography of Roberto Clemente.
Reader Response/ Classroom Connection:
- In order to connect this biography to my classroom I would connect it through literacy strategies and creative arts. I would provide my students with a poster board and markers. I would ask them to use the markers to write their name largely on the front of their poster board with their favorite colors and decorate it. Then I would ask my students to take the poster board home, and ask their parents how they got their name or why they have the name that they do. After this, I would want them to write on the back of the poster board the story of their name in bullet points, and then I would have them present it to the class and tell their story. This gives the children a chance to talk about themselves while also learning about their classmates and connecting it to the biography of Roberto Clemente.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clemente! is one of my primary multicultural books.

This book is about a young boy who learns he is named after a famous baseball player, Roberto Clemente. The book goes on to tell about how Robert Clemente was the first Latin American baseball player to make it to the hall of fame. The book also describes Robert Clemente as a person who gave back and who was a great person on and off he field. Some of the lines in the book are written in English and Spanish.

Text-to-Self:This book reminds me of how or where people get their names from. For example my middle name is Ann which is also my mothers middle name. I remember asking my mom why she choose my name and she tells the story of how she just always loved my name and that she wanted us to share middle names. I also want to pass down a family name to my future daughter. I had to grandmothers with the name Alice and a great grandmother named Alice. I'd love to honor them one day by naming my daughter after them.

Text-to-Text:It reminds me of the book Who Was Jackie Robinson? by Gail Herman. Both Jackie Robinson and Robert Clemente faced problems with racism while playing baseball but, both made it into the hall of fame. Jackie Robinson was the first African American baseball player to make it into the baseball hall of fame and Robert Clemente was the first Latin American baseball player to make it into the baseball hall of fame. Both men were also great men on and off the field.

Text-to-World: I feel like this book could be used in a classroom when teaching about autobiographies or about important american people. It could also be used to show how people get there names or where they come from. You could have your students go home and ask their parents how and why they choose their child's name.

[Terri Skipworth]

Title: Perdomo, W. (2010). Clemente!. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co.

Citation by: Terri Skipworth

Type of Reference: Biography

Call number: B Cle

Grade level: Elementary

Content/Scope:
This book is a biography of Roberto Clemente, the first Latin American baseball player to be voted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Clemente was also known for his charitable work that he conducted over the years for Latin American countries. He died in a plane crash while delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This book is written in English for ages 6-10.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias:
Henry Holt & Co. is a division of the Macmillan global publishing organization. Founded in London in 1952, it houses a long list of award winning titles and authors.

Arrangement/Presentation:
This book is a hardcover containing 32 pages of text and color illustrations. The illustrator was Brian Collier.

Relation to other works:
This biography is one of many biographies written about Roberto Clemente. This book was reviewed as being a good resource for students in the elementary school setting.

Accessibility/Diversity:
This biography explains the life and death of a famed Latin American athlete. Students of all backgrounds and cultures can learn and appreciate his triumphs for the sport of baseball as well as his humanitarian work all over the world.

Cost: 12.49

Review: Chipman, I. (2010). Booklist Editorial Review, retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805....

[Doret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy in the story is named after Clemente. His parents tell him about his namesake. The family lives in The Bronx where Roberto Clemente was rey. His father is president of the greatest fans of Roberto Clemente club.

"He'll take out his baseball card collection
and pull all his mint condition Clementes,
and then he'll start calling Clemente,
I mean really calling him,
like he was try like he was trying to talk
to the ghost of Roberto Clemente."

"Clemente! Clemente!
It's us, tu gente!
Clemente! Clemente!
Prince of the baseball diamante,
Canon-arm Clemente,
Puerto Rican prince Clemente,
Hall of fame Clemente"

Perdomo text is informative, lyrical, visual and fun. Sometimes a little flair is expected when talking about great baseball players or plays. Perdomo gives the reader exactly that.

He also lets the reader see all sides of Clemente - the player, the son who when interviewed after winning the World Series spoke Spanish first for his parents, and the man who tried to help Nicaraqua after an earthquake. The author inculdes a great Roberto Clemente timeline in the back

I love Robert Collier's artistic style. It was a perfect fit for this biography. In his notes Collier mentions the medium he used.

"I created the watercolor and collage images of Roberto in action in multiple repeated layers to express the speed, power, impact, and sound he embodied when playing baseball"

Perdomo and Collier have come together to create wonderful biography on Roberto Clemente. Baseball fans of all ages will love it

[Harley Stine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clemente! starts off with a little boy learning about where his name originated from. His father then tells him the story of a great baseball player, Roberto Clemente. Roberto Clemente had a long career with the Pittsburgh Pirates team. He informs his son that Clemente was the first Latino to be inducted in to the baseball hall of fame. He was a baseball player and philanthropist. Unfortunately he passed away in a plane crash flying to Nicaragua for charity work.

This book is great for talking about embracing one's cultural identity and individuality. Clemente's father wants him to be proud of his Latino heritage and whom he was named after for he was a true hero. I would put this on the shelves of my classroom library, I was just not crazy about this book because it did not really spark my personal interests. I am not a sports fan so when they talked about Roberto Clemente's baseball statistics I was a little lost. But I would love to have some of my athletic students enlighten me on what it is those statistics truly mean.

I would use this book to lead in to a geography lesson about where exactly Roberto Clemente was from and where we as a class could locate that country on a map. Then we could do more research on Clemente together finding all the places he went and locate those destinations on our map too. We could show his journey on our map by using string to connect each place to show how far his great efforts stretched to.

This book would work best for children in 1st-4th grade.

Themes: Latino culture, history, baseball, civil rights, cultural identity

[Selina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clemente, the biography picture book tells the story a young boy named Clemente after the great baseball player Roberto Clemente who came from Puerto Rico and was the first Latin American played and put in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The community did not only know Roberto Clemente for his talent in baseball, but also his service. Clemente unfortunately passed in plane crash while on his way to aid people who just experienced a big earthquake in Nicaragua.

The illustrations in this book are very colorful. I found them to be easy to relate to as well. I feel that a child would easily be able to relate to the illustrations. Some pages are active scenes and the illustrator did a good job of showing this. I feel that a child would stay interested in the books illustrations.

The story line does a good job of telling the biography of the baseball player at a children level. The information is not to heavy for a child to understand it is concise enough for them to be able to learn about him. This book can bring up a good discussion in a classroom for children on how non-Americans weren’t always welcome in sports.

This book also implies never giving up on your dreams. Clemente is inspired by Roberto Clemente who he was named after and wants to be great just like him. It is an inspiring story of a child who has a hero and a dream, and continuing a legacy. The lesson a child can get from the book is a hero is always remembered and never to give up on your dreams.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful children's book that combines formal poetry, codeswitching, baseball history and dynamic watercolors into a read that can educate youth, serve as a study guide for elementary (well, really, any level) poetics and remind lovers of sports about a time when all you could change the world with just your sweat, bat, ball and glove.

I'm a big fan of Willie Perdomo's work and this book builds on the elements that draw me into his writing—respect for formalism, an ear for common language, and knowing when to let the image of the line speak for itself. In a few pages and with highly accessible language, Willie captures the legacy of Roberto Clemente's sports life in a modern urban setting (Boogie Down Bronx, stand up!) with realistic dialogue caught in the frame of limericks and hero couplets.

Bryan Collier's watercolors bring an old snapshot look to the book that makes me feel like I'm going through a family scrapbook and connecting with my own past as opposed to just reading any ole book. As I find out in the afterwords, Collier purposefully repeats layer upon layer of color to recreate Clemente's presence on the field and in our imaginations.

CLEMENTE! is a solid read for any teacher/parent looking to mix in a lesson of cultural pride, American Baseball history, and poetics all in one elegantly sculpted book.

[David Perilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Clemente is a great easy read book for children in grades 3rd-6th. I think this audience would be ideal due to the beautiful illustrations and expressions throughout and the true story will always catch younger students.
Appeal: The illustrations are great, very nice details and expressions. I also feel that this being based on a real person gives students more of a real feel to reading it. Also the fact that it has some Spanish in the book to accommodate the English it is representing is cool because students can then get their start of a different language. At the end of the book it gives a timeline of Clemente’s life which will also catch the reader’s attention since the book doesn’t go into a huge amount of detail, the reader can see for themselves what Clemente did throughout his life.
Adaptation: This book is a multi-cultural book for younger readers. I think that this could be incorporated into social studies lessons having to do with the breakthrough of segregation and equality. Clemente was one of the first black baseball players of his time and not only was he an amazing baseball player but a humanitarian to his death. Students can get a lot of moral lesson from this book and learn of how to not only be a great athlete but in doing that become a great father, brother, sister, mother, and mentor to others.
Award: 2011 Americas Award Copyright 2010

[Charles Kim]

Grade/interest level: 3rd - 5th
Reading level: 3
Genre: Multicultural Literature; Biography

Main Characters: Roberto Clemente, Mom, Dad
Setting: United States
POV: from Clemente's parents to Clemente

Clemente! goes through the history of the baseball player Roberto Clemente and why the mom and dad named their son after Roberto Clemente. They describe their love for Clemente, but also his accomplishments as a baseball player. Not only that, they talk about his character as a man going through life with others making comments about him, but not letting anything bog him down. Rather, Clemente fought through and his determination shone through.

I would use this text in my classroom as a read aloud or guided reading to talk about the life of not only a baseball player, but his personal life as well. The issues of social pressures and race are prevalent and can be used to connect with problems at school such as bullying or peer pressure. Younger children are very susceptible to those school-based difficulties and having a conversation thorough books are not only educational, but emotionally supportive.

[Emily Benner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot summary: This picture book biography is about a great baseball player named Robert Clemente. The story is told by a young boy, named Clemente, who learns about why and how he got his name. His father and uncle were big Clemente fans and very proud that his name was Clemente. The way that the reader finds out information about Robert Clemente is by the boy reciting all of the information he knows about him, including his background information, baseball stats, facts, baseball team history, etc. Throughout the story, the use of Spanish and English is intertwined in the text. This supports the fact that Robert Clemente was from Puerto Rico. The book ends with the legacy and inspiration that lives on even after the passing of Robert and also why Clemente got his name.

Reader Response: Two ways this book can be incorporated into the classroom is through literacy strategies and technology. With literacy strategies, you could have the children write about their favorite athlete and what they would want to find out from them if they got the opportunity to meet them. Using technology, you could have the children use the interactive Bio-cube that is available on readwritethink.org.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2010 by Henry Holt and Co.
Interest Level: 4th-6th grade

This is a book about the baseball player Roberto Clemente and his effect on the identity of a family. The family portrayed in the book loves Roberto Clemente and in some ways idolizes him as a Hispanic baseball star. About 1/3 through the book the biography of Roberto Clemente begins and it covers most of his childhood and some of his adult life. At the end of the book, the family explains why the main character is named Clemente. Also, at the end of the book there is a timeline, author's note, illustrator's note, and where to learn more about Roberto Clemente.

The biographical information is presented in an easy-to-understand way that the reader can connect to through the childhood of Roberto Clemente. Although didactic in some ways, regarding Clemente's identity and a somewhat moralistic portion, this book largely looks at Clemente in an ideal role-model way. I would have liked to see a more detailed exposition of his hardships instead of a simple page about his struggle with assimilation.

[Mrs. Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hip-hop "Nuyorican" poet Willie Perdomo (like Roberto Clemente) has hit one out of the park. We all enjoyed learning about Roberto Clemente in this short fiction picture book. Rather than reading it aloud to my audiences, however, I chose to show the pictures as the author read it. You can find his reading here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U465kR...

I did introduce Mr. Perdomo's background in young adult poetry (just as a mention), that he grew up in Spanish East Harlem (part of NYC), that his father came from Puerto Rican and Perdomo himself speaks Spanish as well as English. I mentioned also that the book is about a boy named Clemente, after Roberto Clemente, whose parents are explaining to him why they gave him that particular name. I asked the students if they had been named after anyone that their parents admired or loved.

The students were really interested in the book--and were sad to hear the part about Clemente's death while flying relief supplies to the people of Nicaragua. I think it a good introduction to a true sports hero.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It is about the life of Roberto Clemente who is one of the greatest if the not the greatest baseball to ever live. The picture book shows the struggles and triumphs that Roberto faced through out his life and also goes into how his life ended tragically in a plane crash were he was going to deliver aid to earth quake victims in Nicaragua. This book should show children that everyone struggles and has hardships in their lives and that you have to prove people wrong and over come them in order to succeed. It also shows that hardwork is what causes success. I also liked that this book showed Roberto's latino heritage by having spanish phrases through out the book to go along with the english text.

I think the illustrations were beautiful they have a latino spin to them in terms of the bright colors! I really enjoyed them and I think they followed the book well, and would help engage student during the story.

[Alyssa Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clemente! by Willie Perdomo is a biographical narrative that tells the story of Roberto Clemente, famous American baseball player. The book is slightly bilingual, adding a touch of Spanish, which I believe is a great tribute to Clemente's cultural background. I would recommend this book to readers ages 10-13, especially those who are avid sports fans. Willie Perdomo does a great job at emphasizing all the important facts of Roberto Clemente's life in this text and therefore making the book enjoyable, interesting, and also educational. Collier also does a great job at adding realistic illustrations, which are sure to capture the eye of the reader.

In a classroom, I recommend using this book on a unit related to the important Americans who have played a role in athletic history. This can be used within a text set of other important athletes. Bio-Cubes would be a great way to have the students compare and contrast the lives of each athlete.

[David Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novels are a very new genre for me. This is the first modern one I've read. I enjoyed this very much and learned much about Roberto Clemente the man, and his humble origins. I already knew a lot about the player as I was a big fan. I still can see a ball that Billy Williams hit off the top of the wall at Wrigley which he tried to stretch into a double except that Clemente retrieved the ball on one hop and threw Williams out at second by 15 feet. (One of several disappointments I've experienced at the Friendly Confines.)
This is a very interesting genre and I think this is probably an excellent example. The artwork is simple and well executed, the writing is intriguing in that much detail is left out but the choices of what is included were intelligently thought out. This will not be my last graphic novel.
Thanks again Kristin.

[Naomi]

Audience: Primary

Genre: Biography

Award: 2011 Americas Award

Text to Text Connection:
In this book a young boy is named after Roberto Clemente. He and his family are big fans of the baseball player. The young boy tells the story of Clemente's life. This book reminded me of Who Was Jackie Robinson? by Gail Herman because both baseball players faced discrimination yet went on to play in the World Series and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They paved the way for other baseball players. These books tell how Clemente and Robinson received threatening and ugly letters from people who did not want them to play. They endured name calling from fans. Clemente was the first Latin American inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Both secured their legacies in baseball history.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clemente is a terrific book about a young boy who is named after the Puerto Rican baseball hero, Roberto Clemente. The boy wonders why he is named Clemente, and so his parents explain it to him while also explaining who Roberto Clemente is and what a successful, determined person he was. It walks through Roberto Clemente's life while teaching life lessons that students can take with them. One of the focuses of this book is about standing up for what is right and fighting against what is wrong. The author and illustrated have created a fabulous, inspiring story that can be read in any elementary classroom. The boys in my classroom (third grade) really enjoyed this book. It portrays Clemente in a positive light while also teaching them lessons they can remember and apply in their own lives. I would highly recommend this book!

[Lidia Alarcon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards: Américas Award (2011)

Appropriate grade level(s): 1 - 2

Summary: This story is about a boy named Clemente, after Roberto Clemente a famous baseball player. The story goes through all of Roberto Clemente’s achievements. Clemente is then reminded of why he was named after the great baseball player.

Review: I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot about Roberto Clemente. I think this is a great book for children to learn another language since it has words in Spanish. I liked the illustrations.

In-class uses: (1) national hispanic heritage month. (2) lesson about other cultures.

[James Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows the baseball start Roberto Walker Clemente. It gives facts about the baseball player and shows how Clemente grew up. This biography allows students to become more informed on the baseball players life. It would be great for students to do a report on Roberto Clemente. It can interest students that like sports. It also shows students that it does not matter your ethnicity, you can still do anything as well as anyone else. It is a great story and very informational for student readers. Great for students that like sports.