This is an interesting story of a female umpire. In a role that was usually dominated by males, we learn about Amanda Clement and her struggles and joys. Children who love baseball or softball are usually interested in this book. ( )

This is a delightful telling of the story of Amanda Clement, the first female umpire in professional baseball. Starting with her introduction to the game, it continues on to reveal an astonishing list of her accomplishments. How have I never heard of Amanda Clement? While reading, I kept wondering how I can find out more about her life and other early sportswomen like her, so I was happy to see that the book ends with a bibliography, followed by a list of questions designed to take younger readers further in their comprehension of the story, and a link to the South Dakots State Historical Press website (www.sdshspress.com) for more links to information about women and baseball.

The text was age-appropriate without being condescending, and managed to touch lightly on the issue of gender discrimination in sports - neither ignoring or dimissing it, nor letting it dominate the story of Ms. Clement. A nicely done story, which should encourage young readers to look more into the untold stories of sports figures! The South Dakota State Historical Society Press was also kind enough to send along a box of Cracker Jacks to put me in the baseball frame of mind...I promise that the did not influence my review, but they did influence my mood! Thank you! ( )

This was a cute book. It starts out talking solely of baseball, which I imagine would lure in any child who's a baseball fan, before slyly sneaking in some of the other accomplishments of Amanda Clement. I was happy to learn a little about an incredible woman I had never heard of.

I love juvenile biographies that are "off the beaten path". This ia a wonderful story of a woman who stepped outside of the normally accepted roles for her sex and made a name for herself. It is sure to be enjoyed by many girls who, like myself at that age would prefer to play rather than cheer. The writing at times did not flow nearly as well as I would have hoped and that is the one area I would like to see improved in future books of this genre. ( )

Umpire in a Skirt – The Amanda Clement Story
I was surprised to find that Umpire in a Skirt was a children's book. As such, it is a nice, little book showing a strong female character who gets to do what she wants to do, even though it is not an acceptable thing for her time. The book tells the true story of Amanda Clement, the first paid female baseball umpire. Unfortunately, written in the third person, with choppy sentences, it read as if someone was “explaining” Amanda's life rather than telling her story. That said, I think this would be a good book for inclusion in a reading series. We are always looking for nonfiction stories with positive role models, as readers for elementary children. ( )