The Hero Two Doors Down (13 page)

Rachel Robinson and Sarah Cymrot, Steve's mom, remain friends to this day.
(Photo courtesy of the Robinson family)

Still friends today, Sharon and Steve ride horses at the Satlow ranch in Ocala, Florida.
(Photo courtesy of Izzy Satlow)

First and foremost I'd like to open this page with a thank-you to all young readers! You're awesome! I hope you loved reading
The Hero
Two Doors Down
. Were you able to picture becoming friends with your hero? I wish that for all of you!

I'd like to thank my amazing parents, Jack and Rachel Robinson, for their love and guidance and for teaching me the importance of preserving and passing along a strong family legacy. I learned to love books from my mother. Life with “RR,” as I'm fond of calling my mom, is one long, wondrous journey! Our shared love for reading is part of that adventure.

I've had an incredible twenty-year partnership with Scholastic Inc.! This includes the operation of the Breaking Barriers program, co-run by Scholastic and Major League Baseball, which focuses on students' abilities to overcome obstacles in their lives.

I've also been fortunate to author several books for Scholastic. Our newest one,
The Hero Two Doors
Down
, would not have been possible without the vibrant storytelling of our young hero, Stephen Satlow. I wish to thank Steve and his entire family, including his mother, Sarah Cymrot, for years of friendship as well as their guidance and best wishes on this project.

I want to thank my editor, Matt Ringler, who helped bring clarity and insight to my writing and the project as a whole. Thank you, Matt, for making the process seamless and fun! There are many others at Scholastic whom I'd like to thank especially: Dick Robinson, Ellie Berger, Charisse Meloto, Bess Braswell, Whitney Steller, Caitlin Friedman, Lizette Serrano, Judy Newman and her Book Clubs team, and Alan Boyko and his Book Fairs group.

The relationship between writer and literary agent is critical to moving a project from manuscript to published book. My agent, Katherine Cowles, has played such an important role in my life. Kitty, thank you for your keen insight, friendship, and vision!

I've worked with two incredible MLB Commissioners: Bud Selig and Rob Manfred. I owe a great deal of my professional growth to their enduring support. Along the way, I've made many friends at MLB who have been especially supportive of my writing: Jacqueline Parkes, Thomas Brasuell, Kevin Moss, Steve Arocho, Anne Occi, Claudia Vosper, David Kaufman
, and Nick Trotta. A special thank-you to the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers along with their players—especially Curtis Granderson (Mets), Michael Cuddyer (Mets), and Jimmy Rollins (Dodgers)—for their amazing support and contributions to the Scholastic video!

A very special thank-you to Della Britton Baeza, Gregg Gonsalves, Len Coleman, Marty Edelman, and the entire staff and board of the Jackie Robinson Foundation for your incredible work, love, and support!

Many, many thanks to friends who read each version of the manuscript and gave me invaluable feedback: Nancy Lerner, Steven Ungerleider, Lyman Carter, and Steve's wife, Izzy. And, last but not least, a special thank-you to my brother, David, to my nieces and nephews, and to my grandchildren, Jessica and Lucas.

You are all my sheroes and heroes. I'm blessed to call each of you my friend. If only you all lived two doors down . . .

Sharon Robinson,
daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. She has also written several widely praised nonfiction books about her father, including
Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By
and
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
.