Queen of the Diamond - The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully (review)

At a Glance

Metadata	Details
Publication Date	2015-03-22
Journal	Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books./Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Authors	Elizabeth Bush

Abstract

Reviewed by: Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully Elizabeth Bush McCully, Emily Arnold Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story; written and illus. by Emily Arnold McCully. Ferguson/Farrar, 2015 [32p] ISBN 978-0-374-30007-4 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R 5-8 yrs Lizzie Murphy, who played first base in semi-professional ball at the beginning of the twentieth century, was unquestionably a baseball pioneer—the first woman to play against major leaguers in an exhibition game; the first player to participate in all-star games in both leagues; the first woman (and white, at that) to play in a Negro League game. Although most of these facts are included in McCully’s closing notes, the text is more concerned with Lizzie’s childhood and the launch of her career. Readers meet a talented little girl, an all-round athlete, who elbowed her way into her big brother’s games by toting around the equipment and waiting for her break. Against the advice of her mother, who appreciated her daughter’s talent but saw no future in women’s baseball, Lizzie made it onto a men’s semi-pro team and, as McCully’s narration showcases as its climax, challenged the team’s manager to pay her the wages he withheld from her debut appearance. This focus subtly extends the story’s interest from a girl-makes-good historical set piece to an accessible bit of consciousness-raising regarding gender and wage parity; Lizzie was the team star—and certainly not above making money on the side selling her own baseball cards—but wasn’t about to fall for a manager’s argument that “you’ll quit to get married someday. These fellows have to earn a living.” Line and watercolor paintings convey the Rhode Island environment in which Lizzie got her start, as well as the contrast between her shirtwaist and boater everyday garb and the men’s uniform she audaciously wore on the field. A brief list of sources is included. [End Page 411] Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

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Original Source

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2015.0310