Michael's Golden Rules

by Deloris Jordan (Author) Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Michael's Golden Rules
Login to Review
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
cms Common Sense Media Review
The mother and sister of NBA superstar Michael Jordan return with this picture book to tell a story of teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship as a little boy learns the golden rules of baseball. Full color.
cms Common Sense Media Review
Select format:
Paperback
$8.99

Find books about:

School Library Journal

Written and illustrated by the team responsible for "Salt in His Shoes" (S & S, 2000), this oversize title looks promising but never reaches its potential. Jonathan and Michael are best friends and baseball teammates. Jonathan is a weak link on their team; he is constantly striking out and making mistakes. However, once introduced to the "ten golden rules of baseball" that Michael's uncle made up when he played college ball, he practices more and improves his performance in the big game against a rival team. Readers will have difficulty believing in Jonathan's speedy transformation from "strike out king" to a better player who accepts the team's loss with maturity. The dialogue is a bit wooden and is filled with clichés. Furthermore, the "ten golden rules" seem to fit an adult agenda and wouldn't mean much to most youngsters without significant explanation. Nelson's illustrations are stunningly realistic and powerful. Readers view characters from multiple vantage points, some so close that one feels part of the action. The story does feature an appealing multicultural cast, and it might have some appeal to children who play team sports. --Barbara Katz, Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, TX

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

This follow-up toSalt in His Shoes, which dabbles in the subject's less successful flirtation with baseball, may disappoint fans of the earlier book. The tale opens as young Michael's best friend, Jonathan, strikes out at the end of a game their Little League team loses. Walking home with the lads, Michael's uncle utters the well-worn platitude that there's "a lot more to a game than winning or losing.... It's all about how you play the game." Uncle Jack, a former baseball player, then shares with the boys his book of 10 "golden rules" (e.g., "Pay attention to the coach atall times," "Be a team player" and "Have fun!"). These come into obvious play during the big end-of-season game, which the boys' team predictably loses. When the coach assures them that they "played like winners," Jonathan gushes that, despite the loss, he feels good because "we all played together and gave our all." Michael then coos back, "Now, that's what I call a home run." Nelson's (Henry's Freedom Box) oil paintings are oddly uneven here; the artwork ably conveys the boys' emotions yet overall the portraits are marred by inconsistent likenesses of each. Ages 6-10.(Jan.) Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.
Deloris Jordan
Deloris Jordan is Michael Jordan's mother and the coauthor of Salt in His Shoes and Michael's Golden Rules, illustrated by Kadir Nelson; Did I Tell You I Love You Today?, illustrated by Shane W. Evans; and Dream Big, illustrated by Barry Root. She is also the author of Family First: Winning the Parenting Game, a book highlighting the seven principles of parenting. Through her work with the James R. Jordan Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, as well as the Jordan Institute for Families at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mrs. Jordan is widely regarded as an advocate for children and families. The mother of five children and the grandmother of eleven, Mrs. Jordan lives in Chicago.

Roslyn M. Jordan is Michael Jordan's sister and the coauthor, with Deloris Jordan, of Salt in His Shoes and Did I Tell You I Love You Today?. She lives in Chicago.

Kadir Nelson is an award-winning American artist whose works have been exhibited in major national and international publications, institutions, art galleries, and museums. Nelson's work has won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Robert F. Sibert Award, two Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Awards, and the 2005 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. His beloved, award-winning, and bestselling picture books include We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball; Thunder Rose, written by Jerdine Nolen; Ellington Was Not a Street, written by Ntozake Shange; Salt in His Shoes, written by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan; and many more. Kadir lives in Los Angeles.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534495784
Lexile Measure
530
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date
June 29, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV032010 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Baseball
Library of Congress categories
Self-confidence
Baseball
Teamwork (Sports)
Volunteer State Book Awards
Nominee 2009 - 2010

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!