Stout, Glenn. Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges.

Stout, Glenn.  Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges.  Houghton Mifflin/Sandpiper  88p   $5.99      978-0-547-41733-2   secondary  Series: Good Sports (Sandpiper)  E-BNS      

Never patronizing, Able to Play shares the inspiring stories of four baseball players:  Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Ron Santo, Jim Abbott, and Curtis Pride.  Each faces physical challenges that, with determination and guts, they didn't just overcome, they excelled.  This book is a game-changing celebration of overcoming odds that will appeal to sports fans while simultaneously providing material for research. Fans of Matt Christopher, Dan Gutman, and Mike Lupica will be quick to pick up this volume.

Mordecai Brown lost a finger, Ron Santo had debilitating diabetes, Jim Abbott had only one arm, and Curtis Pride had a hearing disability.  Stout offers an unvarnished portrayal of the trials these players faced as the result of their disabilities.  These challenges range from people staring to people assuming that they wouldn't be able to perform as well as able-bodied players. 

Kudos to the parents who raised these men with a "can do" attitude.  Readers will find the focus on successes rather than weakness or failure, and may come to realize that people with disabilities can still become contributing members of society, with compassion, support, and determination.         

n  Hilary Welliver