Kammie on First

Michelle Houts holds degrees in special education and speech-language pathology. She is the author of several fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, including the award-winning The Beef Princess of Practical County, The Practical County Drama Queen, and Winterfrost.

"Girls who love sports or baseball will appreciate this biography of Dorothy Kamenshek, a Cincinnati native famous for playing first base in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. ... [It] This book allows fans to discover her true story and visualize it through interesting sidebars and historical photographs." (The Toledo Blade) "[Kammie was] the fanciest-fielding first baseman I've ever seen, man or woman." "This is a truly engaging account of the life and times of an exceptional woman athlete and the league which provided her the opportunity to play professional baseball-a dream held by many young girl softball and baseball enthusiasts, past and present." "When readers think back on sports news from 2014 and remember 13-year-old female pitcher Mo'ne Davis at the Little League Baseball World Series games, they will be pleased to come across this biography of a key female athlete.... This solid title could be used for reports and will fill a gap in biography collections." (School Library Journal) "The very readable main text is supplemented with many sidebars on topics such as Kammie's stats and the league's contributions to the war effort. A solid choice for sports-minded girls and fans of the movie A League of Their Own." (Booklist) "A solid look at Kamenshek's youth and career, and life after baseball.... [Also] includes sidebars about the Depression, the role of women in World War II and the popularity of the name "Dorothy" (Kammie got her nickname because there was another Dottie playing for the Peaches-and at one point, there were five!)." (Akron Beacon Journal)