Warrior on the Mound

Warrior on the Mound is an intense and evocative historical fiction chapter book, narrated by twelve-year-old Cato, set in prewar North Carolina in 1935. It powerfully explores the realities of racial segregation and injustice through the lens of a young boy's passion for baseball. When Cato and his teammates 'trespass' on a whites-only field, it sparks a community-wide crisis that can only be resolved through a high-stakes baseball game. This book offers a compelling narrative about having a dream, confronting injustice, and the power of dialogue, making it an excellent resource for discussing difficult historical topics with late elementary and middle school readers. Back matter provides valuable historical context and biographical information on Negro League players.

Narrated by twelve-year-old Cato, this intense and evocative story of racial unrest in prewar North Carolina ends with a dramatic match between white and Black little league teams. 1935. Twelve-year-old Cato wants nothing more than to play baseball, perfect his pitch, and meet Mr. Satchel Paige––the best pitcher in Negro League baseball. But when he and his teammates “trespass” on their town’s whites-only baseball field for a practice, the resulting racial outrage burns like a brushfire through the entire community, threatening Cato, his family, and every one of his friends. There’s only one way this can end without violence: It has to be settled on the mound, between the white team and the Black. Winner takes all. Written in first person with a rich, convincing voice, Warrior on the Mound is about the experience of segregation; about the tinderbox environment of the prewar South; about having a dream; about injustice, and, finally, about dialogue. Back matter includes an author's note, historical background, biographical information about Negro League players, and more. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection "A HOME RUN."—School Library Journal, starred review "NOT TO BE MISSED."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review