The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.
Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other's talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other.
However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn’t let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them. They continued to break barriers and went on to play a combined total of nine championships.
With text by Traci Sorell and illustrations by Arigon Starr that brings these two players to life, the stories of John Meyers and Charles Bender remain an inspiration for achieving and maintaining one’s dreams in the face of prejudice.
HONOR
| 2024 AILA - American Indian Youth Literature Award
PRAISE FOR CONTENDERS By Traci Sorell and Arigon Starr
A Kirkus ReviewsBest Picture Book of 2023 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best of 2023 List 2024 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List (Unanimous Recommendations) ILA 2024 Notable Books for a Global Society 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor NCSS-CBC 2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2024 Bank Street Best Children’s Books 2024 Carter G. Woodson Award – Middle Level Winner
*“A lesser-known but significant encounter with all-too-current resonances.” —Kirkus, starred review
“. . . an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as diversity units.” —Booklist
“This has broad appeal for history buffs, sports fans, and social-justice minded kids.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
PRAISE FOR AT THE MOUNTAIN’S BASE By Traci Sorell and Weshoyot Alvitre
*“A first purchase for any library.” —School Library Journal, starred review
*“Captures the emotions of families separated by war while introducing the reader to a part of history that is often erased.” —Horn Book, starred review
*“The meditative text is lovely, and the artwork brings the small Cherokee abode to life with warmth and love.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Best-selling author Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. She is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree and an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer. Eight of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association, including At the Mountain’s Base, Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series and She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller. A former federal Indigenous law attorney and policy advocate, Traci is a Cherokee Nation citizen and first-generation college graduate. She lives within her tribe’s reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
View titles by Traci Sorell
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.
Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other's talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other.
However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn’t let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them. They continued to break barriers and went on to play a combined total of nine championships.
With text by Traci Sorell and illustrations by Arigon Starr that brings these two players to life, the stories of John Meyers and Charles Bender remain an inspiration for achieving and maintaining one’s dreams in the face of prejudice.
Awards
HONOR
| 2024 AILA - American Indian Youth Literature Award
Reviews
PRAISE FOR CONTENDERS By Traci Sorell and Arigon Starr
A Kirkus ReviewsBest Picture Book of 2023 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Best of 2023 List 2024 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List (Unanimous Recommendations) ILA 2024 Notable Books for a Global Society 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor NCSS-CBC 2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2024 Bank Street Best Children’s Books 2024 Carter G. Woodson Award – Middle Level Winner
*“A lesser-known but significant encounter with all-too-current resonances.” —Kirkus, starred review
“. . . an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as diversity units.” —Booklist
“This has broad appeal for history buffs, sports fans, and social-justice minded kids.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
PRAISE FOR AT THE MOUNTAIN’S BASE By Traci Sorell and Weshoyot Alvitre
*“A first purchase for any library.” —School Library Journal, starred review
*“Captures the emotions of families separated by war while introducing the reader to a part of history that is often erased.” —Horn Book, starred review
*“The meditative text is lovely, and the artwork brings the small Cherokee abode to life with warmth and love.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Author
Best-selling author Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. She is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree and an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer. Eight of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association, including At the Mountain’s Base, Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series and She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller. A former federal Indigenous law attorney and policy advocate, Traci is a Cherokee Nation citizen and first-generation college graduate. She lives within her tribe’s reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
View titles by Traci Sorell
