Young James finds an old rusted golf club and starts practicing in an empty field, but his father tells him there is no room for a black man in golf in the 1950s. Undeterred, James gets a job as a caddy, and mentored by an older black man, he learns to play by the light of the moon. When his great skill is revealed one day, the white golfers start asking James for lessons. Gentle pastel and pencil illustrations support this quietly powerful story.

Gr 1-3Based on the experiences of African Americans in the late 1950s, this book tells of a young boy who loves golf. The game comes naturally for James, but he is not allowed on the all-white courses. However, his interest in the sport soon leads him to become a caddy, and he is befriended by Charlie, another African American, who has been a caddy for some 20 years. When Charlie observes Jamess passion for the sport, he invites the boy to join him for a round of golfat night, when they can sneak onto the course. With instruction, James hones his skills and eventually gets to display them during the daytime, when he accepts a challenge from one of the club members. Large, pastel and colored-pencil illustrations of average quality are presented in frames throughout the text. While the narrative is heavy-handed at times, the story of Jamess perseverance to overcome prejudice rings true.Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.