The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948

My Name Is America

by Walter Dean Myers

Set in 1948, this story tells of the life and times of Biddy Owens, a young batboy for the Negro Leagues, and the hardships he and his team faced due to bigotry and racial segregation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Sports, Baseball, Childrens

141 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

pseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson

Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.

After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.

Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.

In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and hard to finish. Too much sports and not enough history. Readers interested in baseball might like it, but it's not very similar to other My Name is America books and readers who like the series for the historical detail will probably want to pass on this book.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

UGH. This one was not my favorite addition to this series. This is a book where you REALLY have to be into baseball to appreciate it. Baseball stats don't mean much to me so it made for a pretty dull read. I was hoping this one would focus more on the civil rights movement surrounding baseball at the time. They are mentioned but don't seem to be the prime focus.

[Lorie · Rating 1 out of 5]

We read this for the parent/child book discussion, The Page Turners, which I lead at my library. No one liked it, and the general consensus ~ from both children and adults alike ~ was that it was slow and boring.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is so much technical talk about baseball that you have to be knowledgeable about the sport to pay attention to the story.

[Erin Becker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope I'm not being too harsh with two stars but this just wasn't for me. At least half of the narrative was play by play descriptions of the baseball games his team was playing (he didn't actually play in most of them). The few scenes with his family were lackluster and only gave a superficial sense of the family dynamic. The story also cut off really abruptly.

The bonus material was good though - i did learn some things about the Negro Leagues, the history of racial segregation in baseball, and the impact of integration on the viability of the all-Black teams. Overall, i think the story could have been much more engaging, but maybe that's just because I don't know anything about baseball....

[Cole Lewis]

It was a great book,it has a lot of facts about baseball back in the day and how the major league is mean and cruel.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love baseball & I didn't know too much about the Birmingham Black Barons.
I also enjoy Walter Dean Myers writing.

[JC Roadman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second dear America book I have read I enjoyed it!! This is one of four of these little books that I checked out from my library!!! 💜

[Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little confused why people complain about this book having so much baseball in it? *gestures at the title of the story* Baseball is an American pastime and a fitting subject for the "My Name is America" series. Even more so am I confused that there is more focus on complaining about the baseball than all the obvious storytelling about 1948 America.

I think Myers painted a painful and real portrait of the time period while still keeping a young adult audience. I think I could have benefitted from a bit more interaction between Biddy and his family, but I suppose the nature of this story would not really allow it. The play-by-plays were not particularly fascinating to me (I prefer watching baseball in a stadium rather than reading about it, or even watching it on TV), but it felt very true to Biddy's voice and the world that was being created. Not my favourite of the series, but a decent one nonetheless.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. If you're into baseball, this might be a better book. I found myself skimming large parts just to read about the non-baseball stuff. There's lots of worthwhile historical stuff going on, but I just couldn't get into reading the play-by-plays of baseball games, over and over.

[Connor S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Journal of Biddy Owens by Walter Dean Myers is a book with the purpose to inform. Myers intended purpose of writing this book is to help inform the reader about the cruel ways African Americans were treated in the time this story took place in. He tells the story in first person using Biddy Owens a 17 year old African American equipment managed for the Birmingham Black Barons who has a great love for baseball and hopes one day to be playing out on the field too. Throughout the story it is shown through dialogue between white business owners that blacks are looked at as lesser people and sometimes when just going to get even a bottle of soda they would be kicked out, arrested, or threatened because of their skin color. A racist convenience store owner said to Biddy “We don’t serve no nigras here,” she said. “Get on up off that seat”(Myers 54). When the lady says this to Biddy he gets embarrassed as everyone is staring at him as he leaves the store peacefully and does so without an argument because since he is an African American he would be arrested or beaten. Also Walter Dean Myers show that police officers can treat the black citizens however they want without any justification or punishment on multiple occasions, like when his teammate Bell is arrested for taking a picture and is to intimidated to tell how the officers obviously assaulted him. Biddy Owens said in his journal about Bell’s eye “ I asked him what happened to his eye. Bell looked at the deputy and then said he had slipped on his way to jail.”(Myers 89). Also, the African American baseball team is discriminated against at a service station where the “colored” can’t use the bathrooms even after many hours of traveling in a bus on the road and are threatened by a police officer. Biddy Owens said in his journal about the situation at the service station “The gas station didn’t have a colored restroom, and the policeman (White) said if anybody took out anything to pee on the highway, he was going to shoot off whatever we were going to pee with”(Myers 68). Those are a few examples of how Walter Dean Myers informs the reader of the inhumane treatment of African Americans in the past through the eyes of a black teenager who receives unfair treatment from police officers, the government, and white business owners during this book. Therefore, I believe that Walter Dean Myers did achieve his intended purpose of informing the reader about the cruel treatment of colored people throughout our nation's history in The Journal of Biddy Owens.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Journal of Biddy Owens is a fun historical fiction children's book and a great way to interest younger readers, especially fans of baseball. The author put considerable details like period-slang and family jokes, like "let it simmer," "hot water," “one good nerve” and "good for seasoning and nothing else."

The books address so man6nimport parts of history such as salaries and limited jobs available to men and women of color. The book also blends in moments of the civil rights struggle and Jim Crow (not being served at the lunch counter, segregated water fountains, hospitals, train cars, buses, etc.), meets an ex-slave over 100 years old. So many beautiful moments and community involvement (church, dinners, team bus, and player relations.)

There are many places mentioned (Chicago, Seattle, North Carolina etc), and I could see using a map or globe during the reading to show how the states connect, road trips, and converse about highways. Some journal entries show good and bad sportsmanship as well as complex interactions with law enforcement.

The narrator gave a good view of history, baseball, temperament, and family interactions. There are wonderful opportunities throughout the book to engage and inspire readers. This is a book I look forward to discussing with my grandson when he's old enough to understand and appreciate history. Maybe age 9 or 10? I'm still smiling and would reread this book, note that biddy is not always kind to his sister so young readers will have plenty of questions. The Book is a 4.5, and I rounded up.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun but very short read. The constant unfairness in racism was subtle but all the more disturbing - it wasn't dramatic, it was ever-present and unbeatable. This kid and his team are just trying to live their lives.

I wish Biddy had developed a bit more, but considering this barely covers 5 months, its not surprising that there isn't much character development for anybody.

I'm not into baseball, and for me this book went a little too much into the details, but it didn't happen too often - it wasn't a constant distraction.

I recommend to fans of the series, those who actually like baseball reads, or those young readers looking to get into longer books. It's light and short.

[Jose Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

American Journal of Biddy Owens The Negro League

The is about someone that wants to take off into the pro baseball league. Biddy owens wants to join the black barons. But instead of playing for the black barons he works as the towel boy. He wants to talk to the manager to show his skills but the manager doesn’t want to listen. So instead he goes to the arch enemy team of the black barons. Biddy wants to prove to his family and the black barons that he gots what it takes to play in the MBL. He shows his skill of to the black barons and it turns out that he does have the skill to be on the black barons. The black barons try to sign him but he refused. Because he wanted to be on the team to be appreciated. Because the black barons just wanted him on the team just for his skills.

The book’s genre is sports the book’s author is Walter Dean Myers

If you love baseball then this book is for you.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes baseball because this book teaches facts of the 1947 baseball league.

I rate this book a three star because it really doesn’t give much of information of the 1947 baseball but it does give some facts. But this book give facts of the Biddy Owens the main character and that’s what i like about it.

[RaeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this to read with my son. I think it's important to read actual accounts of people's lives. Especially from times in history where those people were experiencing inequality. It opens up the conversation for what life was like then and how things are different now and sadly how some things are still the same. A good book to open up a dialogue with your children, without introducing them to things they aren't ready for. There is a place for all of it to be taught, but for my just turned 9 year old, it was a good place to start.

[Andy]

Biddy Owens is the 17-year-old equipment manger for the 1948 Black Barons baseball team. Through his journal and voice, we read about the Negro Leagues and the racism that existed at the time. The book includes detailed descriptions of games and refers to actual players of the time, such as Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. A My Name is America series book with rich historical content and a special appeal to baseball fans.

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walter Dean Myers shares a compelling look into the waning days of the Negro Leagues and the racism of post-WWII United States. Biddy’s story, while technically fictional, included cameos of the stories of real-life Black players like Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and a brief moment with Hank Aaron. Where my knowledge of segregation in baseball was limited, this book included a lot of useful context and I greatly recommend it as a read for any age!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it interesting that, in the ones I've read, the ones featuring the male main characters tend to be more character driven than the Dear America books. They tend to have a real plot, while ones like this really don't. That's not bad, just an interesting note.

I'm also really glad that I understand baseball, otherwise I probably would have been lost with all the jargon.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a color person who plays baseball. Every white people show racist to color people and color person hate that. When the color person plays baseball because that's my favorite thing. I want all of people should read this book because it’s thinking about the past how we grow from then and now.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a color person who plays baseball. Every white people show racist to color people and color person hate that. When the color person plays baseball because that's my favorite thing. I want all of people should read this book because it’s thinking about the past how we grow from then and now.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book with my 10 year old because his teacher assigned this series. First of all the series is too old for a 10 year old and second it was journal entries that were a lot of play by play baseball games. My son likes play by play sports books but I found it boring and wished it had more character development and a better explained ending.

[Pumkin pie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this book 3 and a half stars. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout the whole story and was informational in terms of both baseball and how life was like for an African-American boy in the late 1940s. However, it just really didn't have an interesting plot, and in the end, it wasn't good enough to stay in my own personal library.

[Sparrow Delman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book! Definitely recommend if you like history and baseball! I love history, but am personally not a big fan of baseball and don't know much about it, so I didn't really understand many parts of this book.

[hesione · Rating 2 out of 5]

He could've done much better.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was surprisingly funny. Loved the sarcasm.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the love I have of baseball. Learning about the Negro leagues was enlightening.

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a baseball fan. I couldn’t get that interested in this book because there is a lot of baseball in it. I suspect a baseball fan would give it 5 stars.

[Angel Coleman 😇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this years ago in middle school and loved it! I was a little obsessed with baseball after reading it :D I remember it being very entertaining

[Cheryl Woolsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this much more back when I was in love with Baseball.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit that my eyes glazed over at the descriptions of the baseball games, but that's on me. Everything else was interesting. I wish there had been more black perspectives in this series overall.