Practice, Practice, Practice: 10+ Nonfiction Titles for Sports Readers

Summer is here! And that means loads of time for kids to experience books in all their glory. This is also a great time to encourage kids to read the books they choose (without having to worry about school assignments) and to try out new genres that they might be interested in learning more about. This series will offer titles for toddlers to teens and include a variety of formats. Each week will focus on a different genre and will follow the same format:

• • Mondays – Titles for Ages 3-7
  • Tuesdays – Middle Grade Titles for Ages 8-12
  • Wednesdays – Young Adult Titles for Ages 13+
  • Thursdays – Nonfiction pairings
  • Friday – Recap of the Week

Nonfiction
Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace
The true story of Eric Barnes who went from NFL star to painter, with work hanging in the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the California African American Museum.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (Young Reader’s Edition)
“With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson
The true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah who refused to let his disability dictate what woudl happen to him as he road a bike 400 miles around Ghana.

Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger
A look at how football shapes this small Texas town every fall, from September to December.

Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game by James McCoy
“In 1944, Coach John McLendon orchestrated a secret game between the best players from a white college and his team from the North Carolina College of Negroes. At a time of widespread segregation and rampant racism, this illegal gathering changed the sport of basketball forever.” (Taken from Goodreads)

The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend by Sharon Robinson
Steven is an eight year old boy who lived in Brooklyn in 1948 and lived and breathed the Brooklyn Dodgers and ends up living next to an African American family in his all-Jewish neighborhood, who are none other than the Robinsons!

Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends by David Stabler
A diverse group of athletes share stories from their childhood.

Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women’s Olympics by Jean L.S. Patrick
In 1922, Lucille “Ludy” Godbold qualified in the first Women’s Olympics in shot put, this is her story.

My First Book of Baseball: A Rookie Book by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
Learn the basics of baseball in this retelling of an MLB game.

My Weird School Fast Facts: Sports by Dan Gutman and Jim Paillot
Learn weird-but-true sports facts from your favorite Weird School characters.

Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John (Young Reader Edition)
A small town changes drastically as refugees from Liberia and Sudan to Iraq and Afghanistan pour in and a woman’s quest to unite the town through soccer.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
The story of the Negro Baseball League from it’s inception in the 1920s to its end in 1947 when Jackie Robinson went into the MLB.

Weird But True SPORTS: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletics National Geographic Kids
Add some wacky facts, stats and stories to your sports repertoire with this fun and accessible book of facts.

The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon by Megan McCarthy
1904 was a big year for St. Louis – the World’s Fair and America’s First Olympics, this is the unbelievable story of the marathon during that Olympics that involved some interesting ways to reach the finish line!