Satchel Paige at The State Fair

Satchel Paige was one of the greatest baseball pitchers in history. He pitched for the Negro Leagues and the National Baseball League, becoming the first black pitcher in the American League. Most of us know about his sports career, but few know about his personal and family life. Well, Satchel Paige loved children. He loved getting down on their level and talking to them as an equal. He also loved teaching life lessons. In Satchel Paige at The State Fair author Linda Paige Shelby, the pitcher’s daughter, recounts one of the lessons he taught her and her siblings during a trip to the Missouri State Fair. Beautifully illustrated by the author’s daughter (and the late pitcher’s granddaughter) China Smith, this story teaches children what to do when the odds are stacked against you. The flavors of summer and a fun family outing come alive as a father wins points for his daughters. He uses his pitching talents in a carnival booth that did not often have to turn over many prizes. That day the carnival workers and his daughters learned just who Satchel Paige was.