Reviews - The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend

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57 reviews for:

The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend

I’d forgotten this was a middle grades novel until I started listening. I think I bought it because I am a baseball and Jackie Robinson fan! Written by Jackie’s daughter Sharon, this is a heartwarming story of a friendship between a young boy and his baseball player hero who moved two doors down. It is the story of breaking down barriers of race and religion and discovering the friendship outweighs the differences among us. Terrific narration.

coffeerunner's review against another edition

4.0

informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

wonceuponatime's review against another edition

4.0

While the adult in me was frustrated by the lack of plot (as another reviewer noted), I know kids (mostly boys, about age 7 to 10) will like this quick, based-in-real-life read. The author, Sharon Robinson, is the daughter of baseball great Jackie Robinson, and the book is based on the true friendship that her parents built with the Satlow family in the late 1940's. The afterward and acknowledgements are particularly touching: "Were you able to picture becoming friends with your hero? I wish that for all of you!"

This book gives a glimpse into a time where the stadiums were fairly small and intimate, and the cost to go to a game was not as exorbitant as it is today. I nearly cried when young Steve came face-to-face with Jackie Robinson. It was a simpler time, without multi-million dollar contracts, private planes and billions of dollars worth of marketing. Of course, there were problems, not the least of which was the battle against racial prejudice, which the book does address. The Robinson family (in the book, at least) seems to handle it with a fair amount of concern and frustration but also with grace. Do our kids have heroes anymore? I hope so. This book might be a nice way to open a conversation about it.

kateyroa's review against another edition

4.5

fast-paced

Loved this book. I wanted to choose a book for the prompt “takes place in the 1940’s” that wasn’t WWII. This fit the bill. I honestly didn’t realize it was written for middle school aged children - but the audio was delightful. I think it would make a terrific movie!!

seebs's review against another edition

3.0

Friendship, and acceptance, can change things for the better. Learning from one another can open doors to new worlds and possiblities. This story of Steve & Jackie's relationship demonstrates that. I do wish the novel had slowed a bit, showcasing more of one aspect of the turmoil of the time period.

bernadettej34's review against another edition

5.0

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

My daughter read this in her 3rd grade ELA class, then insisted that I read it. I’m glad she did!

theunicornwriter's review against another edition

3.0

This is a wonderful story inspired by true events. When I taught middle school English, I used articles about Jackie Robinson and his values of character that were written by his daughter. I was excited to read this book authored by Sharon, too. Sharon Robinson does a good job explaining vocabulary for a younger audience and addressing difficult topics such as discrimination. prejudice, and war.

My favorite line from the book, “…[he] asked for equality and justice. Was that different from asking for peace?”

At times the simplicity of the narrator and story details left me wanting, but this book would be great for budding readers just moving into chapter books. And I highly recommend it for an upper elementary or lower middle school classroom novel study! I think pairing it with Sharon’s nonfiction would be great.