Testing the Ice
Written by Sharon Robinson; illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was the first African American Major League Baseball player of modern times. The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.  On top of all that, Robinson was an exceptional baseball player.  He was the recipient of the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, and in 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams.

In this story told by Jackie Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, we learn a bit about Jackie Robinson the father. We get a lesson on courage and love.                                                                    

In addition to her writing, Sharon Robinson is an educational consultant for Major League Baseball. In this capacity, she oversees school and community-based educational programs. Breaking Barriers, In Sports, In Life is the department’s core program; it is a national character education program designed to empower students with strategies to help them face obstacles in their lives.

Suggested Activities:
1.  Use baseball as a way of connecting to the book. Who are the kids’ favorite teams and players. Why did they choose those players as favorites? Draw a picture of their favorite team’s logo and colors.

2.  This story is an anecdote from Sharon Robinson’s life. Discuss the point of view of the story. Is the narrator a character involved in the story? What do you think it would have been like to have him for a dad?
     
3.  What do you think the effect of Jackie Robinson’s actions that day had on his children and their friends?

4.  Research Jackie Robinson and then discuss Jackie Robinson’s life. What was his impact on baseball and on civil rights? What do you think his life as a baseball player was like?
     
6.  Discuss what it means to have courage. Have the children write about a time when they may have had to do something that took a lot of courage.  How did it make them feel?

7.  Compare Jackie Robinson’s decision to go play in the major leagues as the first African American and his decision to test the ice for his children. What is the same or different about those actions? In both cases he was motivated to do something courageous for someone other than himself. In baseball, he wanted to pave the way for other African American players. On the ice, he wanted to protect the children. Is this what makes Jackie Robinson a hero?
           
Companion Books:
Lorbiecki, Marybeth. Jackie’s Bat. Simon & Schuster Children's. 2006.
Cohen, Barbara.  Thank you, Jackie Robinson. HarperCollins Publishers. 1974, 1988, 1997, 2009.
Robinson, Sharon. Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America.  Scholastic. 2002.
Robinson, Sharon. Jackie's Nine : Jackie Robinson's Values to Live by. Scholastic. 2004.
Robinson, Sharon.  Safe at Home.  Scholastic, Inc. 2007.
Davidson, Margaret. The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball. Random House Children's Books. 1987.
Prince, April Jones.  Jackie Robinson: He Led the Way. Heinemann/Raintree. 2008.
Time for Kids.  Time for Kids: Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out. Time for Kids. 2005.
Waber, Bernard.  Courage. Houghton Mifflin, Harcourt. 2002.

Websites:
Wikipedia article on Jackie Robinson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_robinson
The Official Site of Jackie Robinson: http://www.jackierobinson.com/