Bob DuPuy, who was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Major League baseball when Jackie Robinson Day first began in 2008, described it as a significant day “not only for baseball, but for our country in general.”

Robinson wore jersey number 42, and today, players, coaches, and umpires will mark the occasion by doing the same.

One way that you can mark the occasion with your kids is by reading a book with your kids about this American hero. There are lots out there to choose from, but if I had to pick, I’d say to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day with the book The Hero Two Doors Down: A Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend. It is by Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s Robinson’s daughter.

She’s written many books, including a few about her famous father, but this one is special because it tells the story of his friendship with Steven Satlow, who was eight years old when Robinson moved to his Jewish neighborhood Brooklyn in 1948.

It’s intended for kids in grades three through seven but it’s such a great book with important lessons that I’d say it’s good for older kids, too.

The Kirkus Review says, “The Jackie Robinson in the book seems just as kind and thoughtful as the real Jackie sounded in interviews and news stories. … There isn’t much conflict here. The story is just as down-to-earth and remarkable as the actual baseball star, and it would feel mean-spirited to wish any more drama on these two genuinely endearing people.”

The book is about a lot more than baseball, and covers important topics like differences in class, races, and religion. There are clear messages about the evil of prejudice, the importance of respecting each other’s differences, and what it means to be a friend.

I loved the relationship Jackie and Steve formed, and the message that friendship can happen between very different people is a good one for both kids and adults. And yes, I got a bit teary when I saw the photos at the end that showed how their friendship lasted a lifetime.

We read this book as part of the Scholastic 20 for 20 Reading Challenge and it was a great example of how even just a short amount of time with a book can make a big difference. My daughter, who isn’t a huge baseball fan, enjoyed it and it was great to see her and my husband, who is a big baseball fan, talking about it and how the game of baseball can have societal implication that stretch far beyond the outfield.

There are a lot of conversation starters in this book that are great to use with your kids. Also, it’s just fun to imagine your hero moving two doors down from you. Ask your kids who they would most want to move into your neighborhood and how they would approach them.

You can see a video of Sharon Robinson talking about her dad and the book, with the help of a few Mets players, here. You can also listen to a podcast featuring Sharon Robinson talking about the book and filmmaker Ken Burns discussing his new documentary, “Jackie Robinson,” out this month here.

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Who said books needed words? And with winter coming, it’s nice to have a few books on hand that you can “read” with your child with a sore throat. You can never be too prepared. Here are some fabulous worlds picture books.

Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner

Another Caldecott Honor Book from Wiesner (are you noticing a trend here?). “Wiesner’s many fans will delight at poring over the detailed account of this master plan, again and again, discovering something new with each successive reading,” says Booklist in a starred review. This book is available in paperback starting today!

Chalk by Bill Thompson

“With eye-catching, realistic illustrations, clever details, and some dramatic suspense, this wordless picture book offers a fresh take on the drawings-come-to-life theme.” – Booklist Review

Wave by Suzy Lee

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book in 2008, School Library Journal says, “Lee’s wordless picture book perfectly captures a child’s day at the beach.”

Journey by Aaron Becker

Journey was a 2014 Caldecott Honor Book. “Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship,” Amazon says of it.

Quest by Aaron Becker

Wordless books have sequels? Yes, they do! This is the sequel to Journey, and it’s just as great.

Sector 7 by David Wiesner

This Caldecott Honor Book tells the story of a boy on a class trip to the Empire State Building who makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure to the “Sector 7” floating cloud factory.

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

“A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful… Unimpeachable.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review.

Flotsam by David Wiesner

“This wordless books vivid watercolor paintings have a crisp realism that anchors the elements of fantasy. Shifting perspectives, from close-ups to landscape views, and a layout incorporating broad spreads and boxed sequences, add drama and motion to the storytelling and echo the photographic theme. Filled with inventive details and delightful twists, each snapshot is a tale waiting to be told,” says School Library Journal.

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers

“The plot in this wordless picture book unfolds straightforwardly: a contemporary little boy kicks his soccer ball through the window of an old theater, and when he goes inside to retrieve it, he’s pulled into Elizabethan London, landing right on the stage of the Globe. . .  High on action, accurate of scene, and short on character development, the full watercolor-and-ink panels give kids around the world the chance to peek into another era while sympathizing with a contemporary, young protagonist,” says Booklist.

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book, this lift the flap book is a pink and white confection in which Flora and her graceful flamingo friend explore friendship through a lovely, and elaborate, ballet dance. It’s no surprise that the illustrator began her career as an artist working for DreamWorks Animation.

Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle

Another sequel! This was released last month, and is perfect for the cooler weather (or if your kid hates pink, or flamingos).

Hug by Jex Alborough

If you were counting, you’d know that this was book number 12. I didn’t count this one because, t admit it, this book has a word. But just one! The word “hug” appears throughout. My daughter loved this one when she was little, and I did too. It makes kids feel like they are really reading.

Another one word wonder is Moo by David LaRochelle.

For more wordless picture books, check out this list on GoodReads and this one from Nerdy Book Club.

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I loved this book, a claim I don’t make lightly.  The Invention of Wings tells the story of Sarah and Angelina Grimke, sisters from a very prominent family in Charleston, South Carolina in the early 19th century, and Hetty, the slave gifted to Sarah on her 11th birthday.  I devoured the novel in a day. I can’t tell you when the last time was that I did that.

The book made me laugh, cry and think. Jim Valvano said those three actions were necessary for a good day and I have extended his thoughts to be my requirements for a good book. (Admittedly there were far more tears than laughs, and really there were more just smiles instead of laughs, but that’s to be expected in a book that addresses the horrors of slavery.)

It also led to me to learn more about the Grimkes, and I consider the motivation to do my own research to be the sign of a good book. The Grimkes were important trailblazers in both the abolitionist and women’s equality movements, who, I believe, history has not given them their due. Hopefully this book will change that.

The Invention of Wings covers a lot of territory and a host of significant issues, including slavery and its role in our nation’s founding, women’s rights and the true meaning of equality, religion and its role in politics, the power of hope and courage, the complications that come with all familial relationships, the many ways to preserve memories, the value of creativity and the importance of sharing stories.

I know, that’s a great deal to digest. But it’s all so important. If I had any criticism of the book, it would be that there was just so much that not everything got the space and attention it deserves, but that’s yet another lesson of the book, I believe.

True confession: about a third of the way in, I may have let my fingers wander to the back page of the book and started casually flipping. I know, it’s a sin, or something, but I did. And you know what? I’m so very glad that I did. I skimmed the author’s notes (it doesn’t count if you aren’t reading really closely, right?) and learned that at least two of the main characters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, were real people.

Suddenly, this work of  historical fiction carried so much weight, and import.

I’m so grateful to Sue Monk Kidd for sharing her research and the decisions she made about the historical facts and any alterations to them when writing The Invention of Wings.  It made me want to reread the book again, this time with the knowledge of her process and choices.

Of course, I probably would have realized how true it was if it I had stuck with it a bit longer. Nevertheless, I still cheered when Lucretia Mott made an appearance.

Then I realized what a history dork I am.

And then I was glad that Sue Monk Kidd wrote a powerful book that appealed to that part of me, as well as the part of me that just needed a really compelling read.

If you’ve read The Invention of Wings, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. If you have suggestions for other books, I’d love to have them!

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