Book Review: Warrior on the Mound by Sandra W. Headen

Publisher’s description

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

Amanda’s thoughts

This is an outstanding read. I’d been dragging my heels on reading it after I picked it up, not because I wasn’t engaged with the story, but because of other life stuff that making me tired to the point that I’d rather scroll on my phone or talk to my friends than try to concentrate. But one night, I went to bed early and opened it up. And read the whole thing.

Cato, who is Black, is 12 and, along with his little sister, being raised by his grandparents. Their mother died in childbirth and their father was killed, though they don’t know exactly how (the kids don’t, that is–the adults keep it from them). Set in 1935 North Carolina, it’s not a giant assumption to think this story is going to deal with racism. And it does. Cato and his friends play baseball and worship Negro League players like Satchel Paige. In fact, Isaac, Cato’s older brother, plays for the League, as did Cato’s father. Cato himself dreams of playing, too, one day. When he and his friends dare to try out the new whites-only baseball field, it sets off a whole bunch of drama, making them the targets (more so than before) of the white boys—especially the white boys doing the best to carry out the beliefs and actions of their ancestors. What follows is near constant threats, harassment, bullying, violence, and fear.

Here’s what I did not expect: a white ally. In 1935. In North Carolina. Whose son is friends with all those awful white kids. (Forgive all of those fragments, but it’s just that each little fact is what makes the ally so surprising.) When we meet Luke Blackburn, we certainly don’t assume he’s a good guy. But the story takes us to such a surprising place, showing the long history Luke has with Cato’s family (especially with his father). Luke has a big part to play in supporting Cato’s family and keeping Cato and the other Black children safe, a part that I just did not see coming at all.

I also want to say this: there are parts of this story I had to skim over. I am always torn when I reach scenes that feel too much for me. It is a luxury to be able to look away from something like what happens in this book (one incident with a cat, another being the reveal of how Cato’s father died). Part of me feels like I should HAVE to read (or watch or listen etc) the hard parts, to bear witness to them, to think how lucky I am to only ever have to read about something so horrific. There will be young readers who also skim those scenes. Young readers are great at knowing what’s maybe too much for them, what they can handle. They are powerful, horrific scenes. It’s not that I wish they weren’t in the book; it’s that I wish they weren’t ever in real life.

I just really can’t say enough positive things about the book. It’s so well-written, powerful, and absorbing. Headen somehow balances the onslaught of racist threats and assaults with so much joy and community and hope. An absolute must-buy for all libraries.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780823453788
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication date: 03/05/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

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