cover image Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story

Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story

Emily Arnold McCully. FSG/Ferguson, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-374-30007-4

In the early 20th century, girls weren’t supposed to play baseball, but Rhode Islander Lizzie Murphy loved the game. Chutzpah and talent landed the redhead on two amateur teams before a manager let her play semipro: “ ‘Sure, we’ll start you at first base,’ he said. His eyes twinkled. He was thinking that people would come in droves to see a girl on the field.” But Murphy was more than a spectacle, demanding pay equal to male players and eventually joining the Boston All-Stars, an afterword notes. McCully shows a keen eye for the attire and social mores of the era in a rousing story of a girl’s dedication to the sport she loves. Ages 5–8. (Feb.)