Jimbo and Tank can hardly believe that famous home-run hitter Josh Gibson is staying at their house. His team, the Homestead Grays, is playing the Tennessee All-Stars, and Negro League teams rely on families to house the players, especially in towns like Nashville where white hotels won’t let Black people stay. Gibson’s visit inspires the brothers to talk the ballpark owner, Mr. Mundy, into sponsoring and coaching a team for neighborhood boys. Mr. Mundy agrees, and soon the Red Roosters are playing their first game. But by the time it’s over, Tank has quit the team. He just couldn’t resist showing off, trying to hit like Josh Gibson. Now even Jimbo is mad at him for messing up their chance to win. The latest entry in Patricia McKissack’s “Scraps of Time” series that weaves historical African American people and events into a fictional family history is full of appeal, from its sports-infused narrative to the very real fun and frustration shared by siblings Tank and Jimbo. (Ages 7–10)

A historical chapter book series from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author, Patricia C. McKissack.

Brothers Tank and Jimbo Turner love sneaking into Nashville's Sulphur Dell Ballpark to watch the superstars of Negro League baseball. When Josh Gibson, the famous home-run hitter for the Homestead Grays, bunks at their house, the boys think they're one step away from heaven. With warmth and humor, the fourth installment of Patricia C. McKissack's family saga brings to life an era of all-black baseball for readers who may not know that Major League teams were once restricted only to white players.

"A good child's-eye introduction to baseball's segregated past." --Booklist