Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
Author: Sharon Robinson
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
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Summary: A true story about Jackie Robinson’s courage demonstrated through the
telling of his baseball career and also about his experience on the ice.
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Awards received:
Reviews: From School Library Journal: Grade 1–3—An affectionate tribute to
Robinson's father's courage and character. In 1955, the family leaves New York City for
a lakeside home in an idyllic, woodsy setting in Connecticut. Sharon and her brothers
quickly make friends with the neighborhood kids and spend much of their time playing in
and around the lake, though she notices that her dad never joins them in the water. Her
new friends are awestruck by him and his stories of his breakthrough into the Major
Leagues. When he bravely tests the ice so that the children can play on the frozen lake,
Sharon realizes that he can't swim. Robinson neatly sums up the significance of her
father's achievements while depicting him as a loving family man. Nelson's large
paintings, done in pencil, watercolor, and oils, dramatically convey Robinson's public
persona, the intensely competitive athlete, and contrasts that with the relaxed, yet
commanding father Sharon and her brothers knew. This book is for a younger audience
than the author's Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By (2001) and Promises
to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America (2004, both Scholastic), but it adds
another facet to children's understanding of the man and should resonate with a wide
range of readers.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
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Author Information, Sharon Robinson:
o http://www.sharonrobinsonink.com/
o http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2004
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Illustrator Information, Kadir Nelson: http://www.kadirnelson.com/
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Discussion Questions:
o Before reading:
 Look at both the front and back covers of the book. Can you predict what
it is about?
 Do you know who the main character might be?
 Do you think this book is realistic or imaginary?
o After reading:
 Who was this book about and what relationship did the main character
have with the author?
 How do think the author feels about her dad, Jackie Robinson? How can
you tell?
 Have you ever experienced a time when you were afraid to do something
but you did it anyway? How did that feel?
 Why do you think Jackie Robinson did the things he did even though he
was scared?
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What made Jackie Robinson different from others?
What do you find most interesting about Jackie Robinson?
Do you think that Jackie Robinson is a hero? Why or why not?
Curricular Activities
o Reading/oral language – Read the story aloud and have students interview one
another. Have them ask questions regarding their family, friends, and events that
have helped them acquire some sort of courage. Writing – Write a story about the
best birthday party ever. What did you like about it?
o Writing –
 Write a short paragraph on what it would be like if you were a black
athlete during the time period of Jackie Robinson. How would you feel?
What types of things would you have to deal with?
 Write about someone you know who is a hero. What did he/she do that
was so important?
 Three activities that Sharon loved to do included playing Monopoly,
swimming and ice-skating. Write a top 10 list of your favorite activities.
o Math/ Technology –
 Find out how old Jackie Robinson would be today if he were still living.
 Have students make a graph of their favorite sports, favorite activities
outdoors, and other hobbies.
 Compare and contrast between boys and girls, and discuss results
 Create word problems using baseball as a theme.
 Try these baseball math games online:
 http://www.funbrain.com/math/
 http://www.prongo.com/math/
 http://www.mathplayground.com/gsmbegin.html
o Science –
 Learn about the different seasons and properties of water. (I.e. at what
temperature does water freeze?)
 Take students outside and examine nature first hand
 Try some of these ice experiments:
 www.projectlabs.com/pdfdocs/ice.pdf
 http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/cool_experiments/index.html
 http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/awesome-dryice-experiments
o Social Studies –
 Research Jackie Robinson. Make a timeline of important events in his life.
 Find out more about the color barrier in baseball.
 What other things were happening in the world in 1955?
 After hearing this story, what things have changed since 1955? What has
stayed the same?
o Art –
 Create your own portrait of Jackie Robinson, and include a few things that
shaped his life.
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Look at the illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Notice how well he shows the
character’s emotions. Divide a paper into 4 sections and draw a selfportrait showing how you look when you feel mad, sad, happy, and
surprised.
Drama –
 Divide students into a few groups and have them act out/present a scene
from the book to the class.
 Role playing. Divide students into two groups by different attributes w/o
telling them how you’re dividing them. (Freckles/no freckles, pigtails/no
pigtails, boys/girls, gym shoes/other shoes, etc…) Pretend that you will
let one group play a special game, have a special treat, get more recess
time, etc…but the others are not allowed because they are different. What
makes them different? Can they guess the attribute? How did it feel to be
excluded? Did it seem fair?
Music –
 Play a song from Jackie Robinson’s time period, and then let students
come up with their own lyrics regarding his life.
 Sing ―Take Me Out to the Ballgame‖
Technology –
 Watch a video on Jackie Robinson.
 Video tape parts of the students’ interviews with each other and watch
those also.
 Create a podcast as a class about a time when you felt like a hero.
Cooking/food –
 Introduce some popular food eaten in New York and Connecticut, as well
as what they are most known for. (i.e. New York style pizza, nutmeg in
Connecticut)
 Brainstorm a list of foods you might find at the ballpark & have students
graph their favorites.
 Bring in Cracker Jack and peanuts as a snack
Related Books:
o The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole,
o Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen
Rappaport,
o The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles,
o If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold,
o America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle by David A. Adler,
o Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by
Kathleen Krull,
o Jackie's Bat by Marybeth Lorbiecki,
o Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Rosinson
o The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball by Margaret Davidson
o Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg
o Crow Call by Lois Lowry Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
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Other titles by Robinson:
o Jackie’s Gift
o Safe at Home
o Slam Dunk
o Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
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Other titles by Nelson:
o Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen
Levine Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
o Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris M Jordan &
Roslyn M Jordan Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
o Michael’s Golden Rules by Deloris and Roslyn Jordan
o Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston
Weatherford
o We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball (Nelson wrote this as well
as illustrated).
o A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt De La Pena
o Mama Miti: Wangari Mathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli
o Coretta Scott poetry by Ntozake Shange
o All God’s Critters lyrics by Bill Staines
o Change Has Come: an Artist Celebrates our American Spirit words by Barack
Obama
o Abe’s Honest Words: The Life and Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rappaport
o Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
o Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
o The Real Slam Dunk by Charisse K. Richardson
o Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen
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Websites for further study or enrichment:
o http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751764
o http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=154
o http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113378631
o http://www.biography.com/articles/Jackie-Robinson-9460813
o http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1610456,00.html
o http://www.jackierobinson.com/about/bio.html