A High Five for Glenn Burke
A High Five for Glenn Burke
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Square Fish
Annotation: The story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself, woven with the real history of Glenn Burke--the first professional baseball player to come out as gay.
 
Reviews: 1
Catalog Number: #294094
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Publisher: Square Fish
Copyright Date: 2021
Edition Date: 2021 Release Date: 02/23/21
Pages: 285 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 1-250-76328-2 Perma-Bound: 0-7804-9925-5
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-1-250-76328-0 Perma-Bound: 978-0-7804-9925-6
Dewey: Fic
Dimensions: 20 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review When Silas has to do a presentation on a famous inventor for his sixth-grade class, he chooses Glenn Burke, the baseball center fielder credited with inventing the high five. "When Glenn Burke arrived in the big leagues in 1976, the Los Angeles Dodgers thought he was going to be the next Willie Mays," Silas explains, but there's one thing he doesn't share with his class, friends, or teammates: Burke was pushed out of baseball because, like Silas, he was gay. Even as he considers coming out, Silas worries about his secret being revealed. As he becomes increasingly nervous, he distances himself from baseball and, worse, tells a lie about his best friend Zoey, which causes her to stop speaking to him. Bildner's (Martina & Chrissie, 2017) latest is a middle-grade book that will have broad appeal. Young readers will relate to Silas and cheer him on as he navigates longstanding relationships that suddenly seem new and awkward. Muted problems at home, seen through Silas' eyes, encourage communication with and trust in parents. The story also speaks to the importance of creating a welcoming community ether on a baseball field or in a classroom at embraces differences with not only tolerance but also complete and unrelenting support. An essential book for all readers, not just baseball fans, about friendship, acceptance, and self-confidence.

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Starred Review ALA Booklist
Word Count: 45,066
Reading Level: 4.1
Interest Level: 4-7
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 4.1 / points: 6.0 / quiz: 508869 / grade: Middle Grades

A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke--the first professional baseball player to come out as gay--into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself. When sixth grader Silas Walker does a school presentation on former Major League Baseball player Glenn Burke, it's more than just a report on the inventor of the high five. Burke was a black gay baseball player in the 1970s--and for Silas, the presentation is his own first baby step toward coming out as gay. Soon he tells his best friend Zoey, but the longer he keeps his secret from his baseball teammates, the more he suspects they know something's up. Kids get pulled from the team, fingers point at Silas, and he stages one big cover-up with terrible consequences. Was it a mistake to share his truth? A High Five for Glenn Burke is Phil Bildner's most personal novel yet, and drives home the message that there's no one way to come out--and there's a place in the field for everyone.


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