Thursday, February 17, 2022

Review: The Little-Known Heroes: William 'Dummy' Hoy by Kaushay Ford and Spencer Ford

Today's review heads off into the sports arena. I love getting my hands on books like these because I've heard school librarians always list sport books among the favorites, which are checked out by kids. Today's book is one from a series named 'The Little-Known Heroes'. This series takes lesser-known, marginalized figures from history and introduces readers to them. 



WILLIAM 'DUMMY' HOY
The Little-Known Heroes
by Kaushay Ford and 
Spencer Ford
Illustrated by Taylor Allen
Colford Industries
Children's Nonfiction
18 pages
ages 5 to 8











William Hoy, or "Dummy" as he chose to be called, was a child who loved baseball and was deaf. Being a determined young man, Dummy worked hard and turned his love of baseball into a career. During his time in the major leagues, there were many people who didn't respect Dummy since he was deaf. Nevertheless, he stood up for himself and proved them wrong. Despite hardships and challenges, Dummy remained honest and hardworking and found immeasurable success. 


Purchase and more Information:
https://thelittleknownheroes.com

Available in hardback, ebook, or audiobook formats


MY TIDBITS

William 'Dummy' Hoy received his name due to his inability to hear, but despite this disability, he played in the major leagues and wasn't to be ignored. This book meets him shortly before he enters the big leagues and introduces the struggles he faced and how he overcame and dealt with them.

This book is just right for those young readers, who have a good grasp on words, but aren't ready to leave the chapter book world quite yet. Each 2-page spread has one, if not two, colored illustration, which helps bring the time period and personalities to visual life. These are well done and break up the text in a way to keep frustration away even for more reluctant readers. Some pages are heavier on text than others, but it's never overwhelming thanks to the illustrations.

The sentences and vocabulary fit well to the age group. William's story is brought across interestingly but still remains based on the facts and provable experiences he had. Still, it's never dry or boring. Instead, it's hard not to root for him as he stands up for himself and overcomes whatever barriers are set in front of him. It's an inspiring tale, and not only for baseball or sport fans, especially since William stays polite and honest while he still chases his goals. 

I do recommend this one not only for individual readers, but see it as a great addition to school libraries, classrooms and even for homeschoolers.

1 comment:

Heather N. Quinn said...

I love stories of individuals who overcome obstacles and prejudices to live their dreams.