Summary:
This book reviews the record setting baseball season of 1941 of Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams.

Personal Reflection:
This book was very informative and outlined the season in true sports fan style.

Classroom Extension:
- Would be a good recommendation for readers who are interested in sports to help provide them with something they would find appealing. ( )

Unforgettable season: the story of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the record-setting summer of ’41 by Phil Bildner, illustrated by S. D. Schindler

The Text: Bildner tells the story of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams record-setting streaks in the summer of 1941 in excited, breathless sentences. The story alternates between the two men, showing their initial unpopularity among fans and the slow build of enthusiasm as people watched their hitting streaks continue.

The Illustrations: The art is watercolor, ink and gouache and focuses on the faces and attitudes of the players and fans. There are small touches of advertisements, clothing, and furniture, bringing the reader into the time period of the 1940s. The enthusiasm and cheerfulness of the text is shown in the faces of the players and fans.

The Extras: Some additional baseball statistics are included at the back of the book. Sources are included in the copyright information at the beginning of the book.

Verdict: I’m generally reluctant to purchase historical sports books, but this is a nice introduction to two very famous players for younger children. The writing has a brisk pace, the illustrations are attractive, and overall I would recommend this title for any library collection.

ISBN: 978-0399255014; Published March 2011 by Putnam; Borrowed from the library

Phil Bildner's, The Unforgettable Season: The Story of Joe DiMaggio and the Record-Setting Summer of '41, is, to paraphrase a favorite movie, like dipping myself in magic waters, transporting myself to the childhood of my mother and aunt - to the summer of 1941, when Joe DiMaggio hit "the streak," batting safely in fifty-six straight games, and Ted Williams finished the summer with a .406 batting average. Neither record has ever been broken.

Bildner's prose carries readers back to 1941,

'After the All-Star break, Joltin' Joe picked up where he left off. his record-setting hitting streak rolled on. Radio broadcasts were interrupted for "DiMag Bulletins." During long meetings at the Capitol, congressmen waited for the latest DiMaggio updates. How long could he keep it going?'

and when the streak ended at 56 games, all eyes turned to Ted Williams, the Splendid Splinter,

'On the season's final day, heading into a doubleheader against the Athletics, his batting average had dipped to .39955.
"Do you want to sit today?" Red Sox manager Joe Cronin asked Ted before that Sunday's first game. "If you do, you got your .400 average." A .39955 average would be rounded up to .400 for the record books.
"No," Ted replied. "I'm going to play. If I'm going to be a .400 hitter, I'm not going to slip in through the back door. I'm not going to do it sitting on the bench. I'm playing both games."'

Ted finished the season at .406.

The game of baseball hasn't changed that much in the years that have passed since 1941. Yes, the uniforms were baggier and the socks were higher, but the game itself remains much the same. Schindler's pen and watercolor illustrations subtly highlight the changes in our culture - well-dressed fans in hats and suits, families gathered around the radio, newspaper boys in caps - yelling out the headlines - all commonplace in the Unforgettable Season.

The final pages exhort the reader to keep an eye out, for the next unforgettable season might be this one. You never know. Ah, baseball - you gotta' love it!

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