Recommended Reading: Sports

Babe Didrickson Zaharias by Russell Freedman
At a time when there were few opportunities for female athletes, Didrickson broke records in golf, track and field, and other sports.

Cal Ripkin, Jr.: My Story by Cal Ripkin, Jr., and Dan Gutman
One of baseball's most respected players tells of his life on and off the field.

The Contender by Robert Lipsyte
When high-school dropout Alfred starts getting hassled by some punks over something he never did, he pays a visit to a local boxing club called Donatelli's Gym. Alfred wants to be a winner in the ring, but eventually learns, with the help of Mr. Donatelli, that winning isn't the only thing, and that there's a lot more to growing up and being a man that knocking the other guy down.

Fight for Your Right (The Jersey) by Paul Mantell, Gordon Korman
Sometimes it's difficult for a woman to be accepted in a sport that has always been dominated by men. Morgan learns this important lesson when he's suddenly face to face with Laila Ali, a famous female boxer and the daughter of former heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali.

Frog Face and the Three Boys (Black Belt Series) by Don Trembath
When school principal Mr. Duncan realizes that talkative Charlie, shy Jeffrey and punch-throwing Sydney are getting into far too much trouble, he signs them up for a karate class taught by his son. The boys soon learn that the tricks they use to get by in school don't work in karate class, and that they will have to learn a new way of handling the challenges that face them, which include a girl who really kicks butt!

Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life by Russell Freedman
Despite her small stature, Graham revolutionized modern dance.

Promised to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball in 1947 when he began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  In this photobiography, his daughter writes a personal account of this famous athlete and civil rights activist, and the legacy he has left.

Quiver by Stephanie Spinner
Based on an ancient Greek myth, this book tells the story of a woman named Atalanta, a skilled archer and runner who is as good or better than many of the men she has grown up with. When her father, the king, demands that she get married, she makes a challenge: she will only marry a man who can outrun her in a race, and any man who loses to her will die. Will Hippomenes find a clever way to beat this swift woman in a race and win her hand in marriage?

This Rocks by Gordon Korman
The gang in the Monday Night Football Club is stunned when non-athlete Elliot shows a natural skill for rock-climbing. After Elliot gets his foot stuck on the side of the cliff, it's up to Nick, and championship climber Katie Brown, to save him. Will they be able to rescue him before tragedy strikes?

Run For It by Matt Christopher
Theo Gordimer likes sitting on the couch playing video games a lot more than he likes sports, but after his favorite aunt is diagnosed with cancer, he wants to find a way to help. Soon Theo begins training for a 5K charity run that raises money for cancer research, helping both himself and his aunt.

S.O.R. Losers by Avi
If there’s one thing The South Orange River (S.O.R.) School is famous for, it’s winning. All that might change, though, when the school forms a new soccer team made up entirely of seventh-grade “non-jocks”…against their will! The eleven members first intend to sabotage their team, but with the support of their parents, teachers, and eventually the whole school, they realize that victory can be achieved on and off the field.

Taking Sides by Gary Soto
Lincoln’s parents have made him move to a new school where the students are mostly rich and mostly white, and he’s not happy about it. He finds solace by playing on the school’s basketball team, but when the time comes to play his old friends from the barrio, he finds himself torn between his new team and his old friends.

Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Twelve-year-old Paul is nearly blind, not very popular at school, and has lived in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik since he can remember. Paul wants to make a name for himself by playing soccer, and in the process gains his own identity.

The Winning Attitude by Michelle Kwan
Kwan explains what it takes to be a champion.