In 1947, filled with courage, skill, and determination, Jackie Robinson changed history by becoming the first African American player in the major leagues. But how did this happen? Who thought of this idea for great social change?His name was Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and a man of great conviction. I am his great-grandniece and grew up with tales of the Robinsons and baseball's "Great Experiment," a courageous and necessary venture that shaped not only their lives, but history as well. A Man Named Branch: The True Story of Baseball's Great Experiment explains, through narrative nonfiction, how a farm boy from Duck Run, Ohio, kept ideas "brewing in his brain" that led to baseball's integration and eventually helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement.