The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend - by Sharon Robinson (Paperback)

About the Book

Eight-year-old Steve Satlow is thrilled when Jackie Robinson moves into his Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn in 1948, although many of his neighbors are not, and when Steve actually meets his hero he is even more excited--and worried that a misunderstanding over a Christmas tree could damage his new friendship.

Book Synopsis

The bestselling novel based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson.

Stephen Satlow is an eight-year-old boy living in Brooklyn, New York, which means he only cares about one thing-the Dodgers. Steve and his father spend hours reading the sports pages and listening to games on the radio. Aside from an occasional run-in with his teacher, life is pretty simple for Steve.

But then Steve hears a rumor that an African American family is moving to his all-Jewish neighborhood. It's 1948 and some of his neighbors are against it. Steve knows this is wrong. His hero, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball the year before.

Then it happens--Steve's new neighbor is none other than Jackie Robinson! Steve is beyond excited about living two doors down from the Robinson family. He can't wait to meet Jackie. This is going to be the best baseball season yet! How many kids ever get to become friends with their hero?

Review Quotes

Praise for Sharon Robinson

Praise for The Hero Two Doors Down

"The story drives home the impact of Robinson's pioneering, not just for the game but for the country following it." --Birmingham News

"This charming tale offers up good fodder for discussion about prejudice, discrimination, friendship, and family." --Booklist

"A home run for baseball fans and anyone who loves an inspirational friendship story." --School Library Journal

"The story is just as down-to-earth and remarkable as the actual baseball star." --Kirkus Reviews

Child of the Dream

★"A lovingly honest memoir of a racial-and social activist-past that really hasn't passed." -- Kirkus Reviews starred review)

"Robinson's unique viewpoint, accompanied by illuminating photographs from this charged historical period, offers plenty to hold readers' attention." --Publishers Weekly

"An inspiring tale of personal struggle, this should engage readers who enjoy history and learning about social progress." --Booklist

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Praise for Promises to Keep

"Jackie Robinson is the most important person in the most important spot in the history of our country." --Ken Burns, award-winning filmmaker

★ "In captivating words and pictures, Robinson chronicles the life of her legendary father. She weaves historical events into the story of one of baseball's greatest players, revealing how they shaped his life. Her text, combined with numerous black-and-white archival and family photographs, reproductions of newspaper headlines, magazine pages, and letters, illustrates Jackie Robinson's journey from childhood to the moment that he integrated major league baseball to his life as a businessman and civil rights spokesperson." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "In this photo biography, Robinson offers an affectionate profile of her father who, she writes, "taught me to flip pancakes, hit a baseball, question political leaders, solve problems, and keep promises." The author's concise history of race relations in the United States enables youngsters to understand the underpinnings of the "segregated world" into which Robinson was born and the racism and injustices he encountered throughout his private and professional life." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An excellent and much-needed addition to the Jackie Robinson story." --Kirkus Reviews

"There are numerous biographies about Robinson available for young people, but none have this book's advantage of family intimacy. In a personal account, Robinson's daughter, Sharon, describes her father's youth, his rise to become major-league baseball's first African American player, and his involvement in the civil rights movement." --Booklist

About the Author

Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of many acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction. She has written several books about her father, including Promises to Keep, Testing the Ice, The Hero Two Doors Down, and Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By. She is also the author of the memoir Child of the Dream and the picture book Under the Same Sun about her family in Tanzania, as well as the middle-grade novels Safe at Home and Slam Dunk!