Contenders

Kokila Books
ISBN: 9780593406472

The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two pro baseball players from Native Nations to face off in a World Series, teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.
Charles Bender came from the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other’s talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other.
However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn’t let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them. They continued to break barriers and went on to play a combined total of nine championships.
With text by Traci Sorell and illustrations by Arigon Starr that brings these two players to life, the stories of John Meyers and Charles Bender remain an inspiration for achieving and maintaining one’s dreams in the face of prejudice.

BUY SIGNED HARD COVER

recognition

2024 Carter G. Woodson Award - Middle Level Winner
2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award - Picture Book Honor
2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
2024 Notable Books for a global society
2024 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Youth Reading List, Unanimous Selection
2023 Best Books List - Kirkus Reviews and New York Public Library
2023 Society of American Baseball Research's Fall Bookshelf List

RAVE REVIEWS

“Adding carefully authenticated Ojibwe and Cahuilla motifs on framing borders, Starr offers a set of clean-lined on-field tableaux, montages, and baseball card-style portraits of the chiseled players in period uniforms... A lesser-known but significant encounter with all-too-current resonances.”

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Starr's full-color, hand-drawn digital art uses archival photos for reference. She employs a realistic style that emphasizes facial expressions and incorporates both Cahuilla and Ojibwe designs into the art. The inclusion of newspaper headlines, baseball cards, and ticket stubs adds to the visual presentation. Appended with a time line, author notes, and sources, this makes an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as diversity units.”

—Booklist
“The art expertly foregrounds the central figures: Bender and Meyers are drawn with detailed texture, setting them apart from the largely flat backgrounds featuring teammates, fans, and reporters. An author's note, a detailed timeline, and a list of sources round out this handsome package, sure to pique the interest of young baseball fans.”

—The Horn Book
“Highly recommended.”

—American Indians in Children’s Literature
“This has broad appeal for history buffs, sports fans, and social-justice minded kids.”

—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Contenders conveys the excitement of a sports story, the narrative style of a biography, and the difficult truths about the discrimination and mistreatment of Native people in the United States both past and present."

—Cathy Potter, librarian and reviewer for The Nonfiction Detectives
Traci Sorell re-creates the excitement of the 1911 World Series, which featured two Native Americans on opposing teams . . . Sorell demonstrates how Meyers and Bender used their courage and wit to overcome attempts to destroy their heritage and waylay their talents. Spirited descriptions from baseball sportscasting showcase Sorell at her best.

—Audiofile, Top Pick for Children Ages 4-6+