It’s hard to live in the New York area this week without being swept up in the delirium brought about by the victory of the New York Giants over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Anyone who loves an underdog can’t help but be impressed by the team that came away with a victory against the previously undefeated Goliaths of football. And the individual stories of many Giants reinforce their underdog status. Quarterback Eli Manning was the little brother, trying to emulate his champion sibling but being met by doubters all along the way. Plaxico Burress, who caught the winning touchdown pass, played all year despite debilitating ankle and knee injuries. Coach Tom Coughlin barely escaped with his job at the end of last season, when his team racked up an unimpressive record of eight wins and eight losses.
As an author who writes about sports and women’s history, I have a soft spot for underdogs. Indeed, most of the people I write about were underdogs who triumphed, defying expectations and social mores to make their mark in the world. Annie Oakley first came to fame by defeating her future husband in a shooting exhibition she was expected to lose. The women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) staked their claim to the American pastime despite an initially skeptical public. Nellie Bly, the subject of one of my next books, broke into New York’s old boy newspaper network despite editors who came right out and told her they wouldn’t trust a woman to cover anything but society events.
Underdogs make good stories, especially when the readers are kids, who often feel disenfranchised themselves. If they can see their struggles reflected in those of the people in my books, the past suddenly seems relevant, and reading about history isn’t a turnoff. And the points of identification don’t have to be obvious. While girls have embraced the female baseball players of the AAGPBL, I often find that boys are more animated and ask more questions when I give talks about the league. Boys who play sports relate to the women as athletes, and love the opportunity to measure their own experiences against those of the Chicks, Peaches, and Daisies.
Fortunately for both authors and readers, history is full of victorious underdogs whose lives and deeds are ripe for examination. Patriots fans can even take heart that in 1781, the ragtag Revolutionary War soldiers who inspired the name of their modern-day football team came away with a clutch victory against the giants of Great Britain. That was definitely an underdog triumph for the ages.
Children's Authors and Illustrators Week...
There's an exciting event coming up, and I'm not talking about the Super Bowl. (Go Patriots! Actually I don't really care who wins, although an undefeated season sounds kinda fun. I'm just excited about the Big Sandwich--vegetarian for me--and the guacamole.)
I'm talking about Children's Authors and Illustrators Week which my loves-to-send-me-links brother clued me in on. Why is this not on my Madeline calendar in my office?
I love the idea of a week devoted to creators of book for young readers visiting those readers. Here's what the California-based Children's Authors Network says about CAIW:
During this annual event, acclaimed authors and illustrators from Children’s Authors Network (CAN!) visit schools, libraries, and children’s shelters all over the country. Lively storytelling, fascinating presentations, and hands-on writing workshops make books spring to life, and inspire a life-long love of reading and writing.
I say we turn CAIW into a national holiday! Even if you just heard about CAIW, you can still celebrate in your own way. Visit a bookstore or a library with some tiny little readers. Start a new YA novel on Monday. Devote next week to mailing out your own manuscripts. (Make a Big Sandwich in the shape of J.K. Rowling.)
