Swinging into History: Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball's First Woman Player

Written by Karen L Swanson and Laura Freeman

Narrated by Karen Chilton

Marcenia “TOMBOY” Stone loved nothing more than baseball. But her parents wanted her to twirl in ice skates, not steal bases in cleats. When their local priest convinced Tomboy’s parents she could play for the church team, she got her chance! Her coaches and teammates made her feel unwelcome because she was Black and a girl. But unstoppable Tomboy ignored their taunts, learned the rule book better than her teammates, and scored runs. When Tomboy grew up, she changed her name to Toni, and her passion for baseball never faded. Because of her grit and determination, Toni made it all the way to the Negro Leagues, replacing Hank Aaron on the Indianapolis Clowns.

In Swinging into History, Karen Swanson’s fast-paced text brings readers right onto the ballfield as Toni Stone knocks it out of the park—the first woman signed to play professional baseball in the big leagues.

“Everything in this book is true to the fact. It beautifully captures my Aunt Toni’s fighting spirit and fierce determination.”—Maria Bartlow, Toni Stone’s niece

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798894862101

Karen L Swanson

KAREN SWANSON is the author behind Go Low Cholesterol, a blog that chronicles her journey to lower cholesterol without taking medication. Previously, she has written on behalf of Answers.com as a category expert for low cholesterol. She lives in Westport, Connecticut with her son and husband.

Reviews for Swinging into History

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a nonfiction biography of a real girl who grew up and broke barriers.
Toni Stone was the first woman of any color to break into professional baseball, and she is Black, too! She was a tomboy who never gave up and took any available help to improve her game until she made it and did her very best to prove that she was just as good as the guys.
About 80% of the book is a complex pictorial biography aimed at encouraging young people to do their best and not give up. The remainder is a result of due diligence in researching the history of this fantastic woman and a timeline of her life and team affiliations.
St Paul Minnesota has established Toni Stone Field.
The illustrations by Laura Freeman are fun, clear, appropriately colorful, and clear.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available Aug 06, 2024