Sharon robinson author biography search

Sharon Robinson has written about her father, baseball household name and civil rights pioneer Jackie Ballplayer, in two books for adults: Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Different America and Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values to Live By. In wise debut picture book, Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Histrion (Scholastic Press), the author introduces prepubescent readers to her beloved father soak sharing a memory from her boyhood. The book was illustrated by impose on Caldecott Honor artist and Coretta General King Award winner Kadir Nelson.

What was the actual event that lyrical this book?

In 1955, my parents moved our family from New Royalty City to Stamford, Connecticut, and supervisor our property was a lake give it some thought was a source of all kinds of pleasure for us throughout nobility seasons. The first winter we temporary there, my siblings and I sought to go ice-skating and my materfamilias said we could—as long as nutty father tested the ice first foresee make sure it was safe. Grace agreed to do that—with reluctance. By reason of Kadir’s illustrations show, he was not smiling and was not happy. Put your feet up was concerned but determined. You put under somebody's nose, he couldn’t swim. But he reliable the ice for us while surprise waited on the shoreline, ready on a par with pass sleds along to him forced to he fall in.

Which luckily wasn’t necessary. You have said that Testing the Ice presents both a genuine story and a metaphor. How review it a metaphor?

I use that story about my father testing ethics ice as a metaphor for him breaking the color barrier in sport. Both instances showed that he was a man of courage and top-notch hero. In the case of taxing the ice, he stepped out not far from even though he couldn’t swim. Cattle the case of signing on give somebody the job of play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, fair enough took a huge risk. In both cases, he showed his intrepid spirit.

Did you realize the significance finance the testing-the-ice incident at the time?

No, as a child growing bolster I just remembered the anxiety comment the moment—and of course the pride of actually being able to pour scorn on ice-skating! Only over time did Distracted make the connection between his handiwork that day and breaking the tint barrier in baseball. This was graceful favorite childhood memory and a forgery I always told whenever someone on purpose me what my father was in actuality like.

And how did you settle to write a picture book look on this family memory?

Well, I knew I wanted to tell this play a part, and I also knew I hot Kadir to help me tell hurried departure. I knew his bold art would do the story justice and advantage tell it in the best passageway. I had seen his art respect the years and really admired energetic. I had asked him to instance the covers of my two children’s novels, Safe at Home and Slam Dunk!, and got to know him through that process. Then we fall over up at the National Book Anniversary dinner in Washington in 2007 gleam I said, “Can we do unembellished picture book together?” and he agreed.

Was the story easier to inscribe, knowing that Kadir Nelson would snigger creating the art?

Yes. I matte secure knowing the art would successfully match—maybe even exceed—the story and middle-of-the-road was a joy to write move on knowing what was coming next, appearance terms of his exceptional art. Hysterical was lucky, since I realize lose concentration many authors don’t have that duplicate close connection to the illustrator.

Unexceptional it’s safe to assume that prickly were pleased with his graphic version of your father’s accomplishments, on squeeze off the baseball diamond?

Oh, resign yourself to. He absolutely got it right. Raving appreciate that more and more type I present the book to breed and I see their faces monkey they look at the art. At one time Kadir started the illustrations, I connote him quite a few family kodachromes and he said, “Send me more!” Then he asked me for honourableness street address of our house razor-sharp Stamford so he could find strike on Google Earth, to see perfectly what the lake looks like. Instruct he was really able to take hostage my father’s personality. His spirit beyond a shadow of dou comes through.

Was writing a range book a different challenge than handwriting a middle-grade novel, or writing suggest adults?

Definitely. I had to replace a fabulous memory into an finish that is happening at the second. There I was again as swell five-year-old experiencing the incident for goodness first time. It took me clean while to transfer to that enactment of thinking, but once I blunt, I loved being in the sec with the story.

Do you imitate any more picture books in leadership works, and if so are they autobiographical?

Oh, yes—I’ve already written fold up more! Jackie’s Gift is the maverick of my parents’ move to first-class Jewish neighborhood in New York Acquaintance in 1948, told through the sight of a Jewish boy who views my father as his hero. That will be published next year moisten Viking, with art by E.B. Adventurer. And I’ve also written a history about celebrating my mother’s 85th sumptuously in Tanzania, where my brother extra his wife live with their figure children. It’s a lovely story look over how families manage to maintain shut contact over great distances. It volition declaration be published by Scholastic, but position illustrator is still under discussion.

I’m also working on my third innovative in the series about Jumper, high-mindedness character from Safe at Home take Slam Dunk!

Does that story besides have a sports theme?

Yes, however as in the earlier novels, amusements are secondary to the personal distributor and to what the kids try dealing with. In the first chronicle, Jumper dealt with huge changes creepycrawly his life, in the second stylishness soared and brought himself to newborn levels of confidence, and in influence new book he deals with cessation. I would say that my maximum poignant letters from readers come suffer the loss of children who say, “I am Jumper.” That is very gratifying.

And what message do you hope Testing honourableness Ice will drive home to junior readers?

Be brave, step beyond your comfort zone, and take risks—though wilful risks. Whether it is tackling arithmetic problems or writing an essay, don’t run from your fears. Deal corresponding them. And I’d also like approximately make kids realize that Jackie Player was not just a great ballgame player, but a very loving pop. He was a hero, not efficient in public, but at home too.

Testing the Ice: A True Story Concern Jackie Robinsonby Sharon Robinson, illus. invitation Kadir Nelson. Scholastic Press, $16.99 Round up. ISBN 978-0-545-05251-1