The story of baseball legend Willie Horton. The 1968 Detroit Tigers always will mean something very special to the city of Detroit. No one player is a better symbol of the relationship between the '68 team and the city than is Willie Horton. When eight-year-old Willie was walking the six miles from his home in Stonega, Virginia to neighboring Appalachia to play baseball, he never dreamed that one day he would star in a major league World Series. The likelihood of a successful career of any kind seemed even more remote after his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in Detroit's "Projects," Willie had no way of knowing that one day he would give his name to a foundation dedicated to helping youngsters living in similar slum conditions. Willie Horton: Detroit's Own "Willie the Wonder" takes this warm and generous man from his disadvantaged childhood through the excitement of a baseball career, and ends with an account of his ongoing work among today's youth. Willie believes that his success comes from what others have done for him, and he is determined to "give back" as much as he can.
Young readers will understand why coaches and friends were so willing to help Willie, and they'll learn about how a real hero cares about other people.