Charlie Takes His Shot: How Charlie Sifford Broke the Color Barrier in Golf

By Nancy Churnin and John Joven

2018 Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Honor Award, presented by the California Reading Association

When the rules kept Charlie Sifford from playing in the Professional Golf Association, he set out to change them.

Charlie Sifford loved golf, but in the 1930's only white people were allowed to play in the Professional Golf Association. Sifford had won plenty of Black tournaments, but he was determined to break the color barrier in the PGA. In 1960 he did, only to face discrimination from hotels that wouldn't rent him rooms and clubs that wouldn't let him use the same locker as the white players. But Sifford kept playing, becoming the first Black golfer to win a PGA tournament and eventually ranking among the greats in golf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
• Release date: Jan 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780807511275

Nancy Churnin

Nancy Churnin is the author of many children's books, including Martin & Anne, Sydney Taylor Notable Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, and the Sydney Taylor Honor Book Dear Mr. Dickens. She is a full-time writer living in Texas.

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Reviews for Charlie Takes His Shot

[cynthiamackey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the opening lines of the story, I was hooked.  I wanted to turn the page.  Would Charlie get caught? Nancy's writing brings Charlie's story to life.  Children will root for Charlie as he pursues his dream to play golf.  From his beginnings secretly playing late at night, to his days serving as a caddy, to playing on the PGA tour in front of a cheering crowd, the story takes us through Charlie's golfing career, inspiring us through the challenges he faced.  It also celebrates his accomplishment in terms of being the first step towards allowing black people the freedom to play on the PGA tour which had been impossible before Charlie Sifford. I highly recommend this story .  It would serve as a great discussion starter in any classroom.  What if your most loved passtime had to be hidden from others?

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This picture book biography tells the story of Charlie Sifford, the first African-American man to play golf in the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA). The book details his life from a young boy sneaking on to a "whites only" golf course at night to play the sport he loved to winning multiple National Negro Open trophies to fighting against the unjust "Caucasian-only" clause of the PGA.This book was a fascinating read in that I didn't know anything about Sifford prior to reading this, not being a golf fan myself. In reading this title, I learned a lot of information that I did not previously know. The main text includes many details about Sifford's life and backmatter adds to that with an author's note and a timeline.Sifford received both inspiration and encouragement from Jackie Robinson, although the latter also warned how being the first person to integrate a sport could be lonely and difficult. This is a good book for talking about racial injustice even with relatively young children as the problem is presented here but it is described without violent actions having taken place. Obviously, I could see teachers using this title during a unit for Black History Month, but it should not be relegated to February only. Sports fans and history lovers will both enjoy this book at any time of year.The illustrations are striking and complement the text well, with just the right balance of small details included in the vibrant portraits.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story ...