Inspired by the life of pioneering female baseball player Alta Weiss, and dramatized by Terry Widener’s bold illustrations, Girl Wonder tells the unforgettable story of a true American original. Alta Weiss was born to play baseball, simple as that. From the age of two, when she hurls a corncob at a pesky tomcat, folks in her small Ohio town know one thing for sure: She may be a girl, but she’s got some arm. When she’s seventeen, Alta hears about a semipro team, the Independents. Here’s her big chance! But one look at Alta’s long skirts tells Coach all he needs to know–girls can’t play baseball! But faster than you can say “strike out,” Alta proves him wrong: Girls can play baseball!
Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of numerous critically acclaimed picture books, middle grade fiction, and nonfiction. She lives in Oregon with her family and menagerie of pets.
Terry Widener is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books on athletes, including The Streak: How Joe DiMaggio Became America’s Hero, Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings, American Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, and Lou Gehrig, The Luckiest Man. He is also the illustrator of The Kite That Bridged Two Nations by Alexis O’Neill. He lives in McKinney, Texas, with his wife and is the father of three grown children. Visit him at terrywidenerart.com.
Nothing yet! Let Deborah Hopkinson know that you want to hear from them about their book.
Nothing yet! Let Terry Widener know that you want to hear from them about their book.
Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.