The Bat Boy & His Violin, by Gavin Curtis

Reginald, a young black boy who excels at the violin, lives with a father who prefers baseball, and in fact manages the Dukes - a team in the Negro National League.  His father signs him up to be bat boy, a task Reginald is largely uninterested in.  However, it turns out that the players love Reginald's music and it even seems to inspire them to play better!

This book was a natural fit for my sports (and music) obsessed son.  It does require that your child have a basic understanding of discrimination - the book is set in 1948, when baseball teams are becoming integrated but at the same time the Dukes aren't able to find a hotel to sleep in the night before their big game (with one clerk stating "We don't exactly cotton to coloreds sleepin' in our beds").  If your child loves Jackie Robinson as much as mine, this will deepen their understanding of his bravery and historical significance.

An added bonus is that this book is both written and illustrated by black men!

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)