Warrior on the Mound

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

"A HOME RUN."--School Library Journal, starred review

"NOT TO BE MISSED."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 05/13/2025
ISBN: 9780823460656
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.81lbs
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 551511 / Warrior on the Mound
Reading Level: 4.5 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 9