Phil Bildner, a graduate of Jericho High School, recently had his first children's book published - Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy. The book, which is aimed toward 5-8 year olds, is a fictional story of the baseball legend Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Bildner got his inspiration after watching the movie Field of Dreams, which highlighted Shoeless Joe Jackson, who received the nickname "Shoeless Joe" in 1908. Bildner explained the origin of Joe Jackson's nickname in the afterword of the book. "While in Greenville, Joe bought himself a new pair of spikes, but the new shoes gave him terrible blisters when be played baseball. When he arrived at the ballpark the next day, he could hardly walk. He wanted to sit the game out, but his team didn't have enough players. So Joe took off his spikes and played part of the game in his stocking feet. During the course of the game, Joe hit a triple and as he was sliding into third base, a fan in the crowd shouted, "You shoeless son of a gun!" The nickname was born."

After graduating from Jericho High School in 1986, Bildner attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where he majored in political science. He then attended New York University's School of Law, received his J.D. degree in 1993 and passed the bar in both New York and New Jersey. After practicing law for less than a year working for a large firm in Manhattan, Bildner realized he wanted to be doing what he loves -working with kids and teaching.

Bildner then received his masters in elementary education from Long Island University C W Post campus in 1995. He went on to teach sixth grade in the Tremont section of the South Bronx for five years in the New York City public schools, and now teaches eighth grade in Manhattan, still in the public schools.

"I started writing about seven years ago," said Bildner, who currently resides in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. "This is my first book. I have written several other picture books and young adult novels and hope that success with this first one will lead to further opportunities."

C. F. Payne, who also most recently did the art for John Lithgow's children's picture book, illustrated the 40-page book.

Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy is available now in bookstores and also online.