In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

by Bette Bao Lord

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle happens: baseball. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America. And for Shirley as well, on the ball fid and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.


Enrichment Activities

Character Chart

Students will analyze the main characters, their relationships with one another, and any distinct characteristics they may have using the Character Chart.

Jackie Robinson and Civil Rights

This lesson gets students thinking critically about the Civil Rights movement and its key players, as they explore a biographical site about Jackie Robinson.

Jackie Robinson Coloring Page

A printable coloring book page with a picture of the baseball legend.

Internet Resources

Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Boar
Information about the meaning of the Year of the Boar and the rest of the Chinese zodiac.
http://www.chinavoc.com/zodiac/pig/year.asp

Black Baseball's Negro Baseball Leagues
The history, the players, and the teams.
http://www.blackbaseball.com/


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