Children's books about sports

Spotlight On: Sports

I will be the first to admit that I am not a sports person.

I ran track (which I liked) and cross-country (which I loathed) in high school but it wasn’t because I love running — I absolutely DO NOT — but rather, you either chose to run or to swim, and I had neither the endurance nor willingness to swim. (I didn’t actually have the endurance or willingness to run, either. And I’m uninterested in competition — the only person I willingly compete with is myself.)

I will also admit that I haven’t been the best at reading books about sports to my children. I am not invested in their interest in sports or any kind of sports life they may have — my husband is responsible for taking them to gymnastics every week because I find the waiting room to be the tenth circle of hell, even with earplugs and sometimes my hands covering my ears, and it makes me hate everyone — and while I don’t actively discourage their involvement in sports, I also don’t do anything whatsoever to encourage it, because I don’t want to. (Yes, I said it.)

However: when you, my subscribers, fill out surveys for me and answer questions like, “What topics would you like a booklist for?”, you ignore my terrible grammar and tell me: sports, sports, sports.

And I do write this newsletter at least somewhat in service to you (even if I felt more than slightly intimidated by trying to find a picture book about football, which I still don’t understand after decades of other people trying to teach me, to no avail, because I just don’t care enough to pay attention).

So here are all the sports books I could muster — the ones I read and liked — and I hope you find some fresh or exciting reads here for your family or classroom. (I will grudgingly admit that when I read Kwame Alexander’s outstanding novel in verse, The Crossover, earlier this year — and it blew my mind — I began to revise my opinion about sports books, and I found some even I enjoy here, too.)

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Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2014)

In this tender story, nothing makes Sierra happy like soccer, where she plays with shoes that have flames, with “these shiny girls,” on a “spread-out sea of grass,” but nothing makes her sad like soccer, either, because the restaurant where her auntie works is busy on Saturdays, and her aunt can’t take time off for something like a game.

They try to make it work in a couple of different ways, but it just doesn’t. Sierra’s supportive coach has told her to let him know if there’s anything she needs, so when she comes up with a solution for her last soccer game, the only thing standing in her way is the courage to speak up and voice her desire.

I won’t spoil the outcome for you, only say that the most impactful part of this tale, with its heartfelt themes of family, community, and perseverance, are all the things communicated through Castillo’s evocative ink and watercolor illustrations: Sierra’s auntie is her primary (and seemingly only) caregiver. They ride the bus instead of driving to Sierra’s soccer game. They sleep in separate beds, but in the same room.

This, more than even the poignant story, is a lovely way to convey the message that there are all kinds of families, all kinds of ways to show support, and all kinds of ways that love makes the hardest struggles easier to bear. Highly recommended.

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Game Day by Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber, illustrated by Barry Root (2005)

My favorite thing about this engaging story of twin brothers who love football is that it was written by twin brothers — former NFL players — who love football.

The charm doesn’t end there, though. Based on the real-life experiences of the brothers Barber, Tiki and Ronde penned a story full of realism and heart. As brothers and teammates — named Tiki and Ronde, of course, because why mess with a good thing —they’re supportive of each other, but it’s still hard on Ronde when his brother succeeds because of the things Ronde has done to support him. (Football things like blocking, which is super important but not flashy like scoring touchdowns. Or so I learned from this children’s book.) Why should Tiki get all the glory? And when will Ronde get his chance?

These are challenging feelings, even if the envy you feel isn’t toward your own brother, but there’s a lot of warmth and familial love here, and Root’s warm watercolor and gouache illustrations add to this feeling. With a lot of text on each page, this one is best for older readers and listeners — and perfect, of course, for any football fan.

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Skater Cielo by Rachel Katstaller (2022)

The jacket copy of this awesome book begins: “Cielo is the sickest skater around! She only shows off her raddest tricks a she shreds down the street.” (Cielo, come sit next to me so some of your badassery can rub off on me, please.)

Here the reader follows a young girl named Cielo as she navigates the challenges and joys of skateboarding in her urban neighborhood. Determined to master her skateboard, Cielo faces shaky knees and a lot of failure — she loses count of how many times she falls and gets up, and though that hits me as uncomfortably familiar, I can’t express how much I love it — but her friends help her up every time. She keeps trying and trying and trying. And of course, on one “not-so-extraordinary drop,” she finally flies.

Katstaller’s mixed media illustrations — including oil crayons, oil paint, gouache, and colored pencils — bring a lot of energy to this little tale, but they also depict with a lot of painful accuracy what it’s like to be in that spot where you’re just off-balance, again and again. These are the kinds of stories we need, though, you know? We learn nothing from winning — but what we take away from the times we refuse to give up, we carry with us forever.

Cielo: I’m a huge fan.

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The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Frank Morrison (2016)

Set against the backdrop of 1960s Clarksville, Tennessee, this inspiring story by the outstanding Zietlow Miller follows a young girl named Alta, who dreams of being the fastest runner in town like her idol, Wilma Rudolph. As she prepares for a big race, Alta faces challenges and competition — among them a new girl, a sashaying new girl with new shoes and an ego to match —but ultimately learns about determination, the power of dreams, and maybe most importantly, the power of friendship to dismantle barriers (especially the dumb ones we put up when faced with sashaying new girls with enviable shoes and egos).

As ever, Morrison’s dynamic watercolor illustrations bring the story to life, capturing the spirit and excitement of the race — and the legacy of a sports icon — in a lovely way.

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Karate Kids by Holly Sterling (2020)

Karate Kids has a rather straightforward narrative — a little girl named Maya goes to her karate class on a Saturday morning, and Sterling explains everything that happens in this process, which is very helpful if your own kiddo is starting a martial arts class — but it’s not less interesting for younger readers because of this. (I actually think these kinds of books are often the most interesting for younger readers, for whom most things in the world are new and frankly, inexplicable).

It’s also compelling to watch Maya and her friends learn not only the basics of karate but also discipline, confidence, teamwork, self-confidence, and the importance of practice — Sterling’s sweet pencil and digital illustrations capture the energy and excitement of the dojo, and it’s pure fun to read.

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National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Sports by James Buckley Jr. (2023)

It’s no secret that I am an enormous Nat Geo fan and I really love anything Nat Geo Kids, in particular — I think they do incredible nonfiction for the younger crowd. If you’re looking for an excellent, comprehensive introduction to the world of sports — jam-packed with the superior level of photography that has made National Geographic famous for 136 years — look no further.

This isn’t one you’re going to sit down and read cover to cover — maybe a page or two at a time, okay — but it’s great for newly independent readers and nonfiction lovers through elementary school.

It’s also a fabulous “looking book” for pre-readers. If you don’t know what a looking book is, check out my post on it:

(How) Can we read? "Looking books"

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Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (2022)

Longlisted for the National Book Award (one of the awards I actually pay attention to and which consistently picks incredible titles) and chosen as a Coretta Scott King Honor book, this an excellent middle-grade graphic novel not to be missed.

The compelling story follows Bree, a young girl who moves from Brooklyn to Florida and is forced by factors outside of her control to join her school’s swim team. The only problem is that she is absolutely terrified of swimming.

With the support of her father and an elderly neighbor, Bree embarks on a transformative journey, one made all the more enthralling by Christmas’ vibrant digital illustrations. It’s inspiring, this book, and I love it all the more for its gentle but powerful themes of perseverance, teamwork, and self-belief. (Haven’t we all struggled to believe in ourselves, no matter our age?)

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I’ll Root for You and Other Poems by Edward van de Vendel, illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch (2018)

The day I found this understated gem at the library, opened it to the title poem and teared up before I even got to the end, I knew it was a special book — it takes some kind of talent to write a poetry book about sports that makes me cry, but this is it.

And it is special: van de Vendel has crafted well-written, entertaining, and amusing poems that will resonate with any athlete (and certainly anyone who has ever competed or tried their best to win, and sometimes failed). Coupled with Erlbruch’s expressive mixed-media illustrations, this book— let’s see if I can muster a sports metaphor — goes the distance.

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For babies and toddlers

• Maisy’s Field Day by Lucy Cousins

• Spot Loves Sports by Eric Hill

• Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Jack Norworth

• Swing! A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder

Poetry

• Let’s Play! Poems about Sports and Games from Around the World, edited by Debjani Chatterjee and Brian D’Arcy

• Opening Days: Sports Poems, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

• Sports! Sports! Sports!, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

• That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems by Paul B. Janeczko

• The Last-Place Sports Poems of Jeremy Bloom: A Collection of Poems About Winning, Losing, and Being a Good Sport (Sometimes) by Gordon Korman

• Home Run, Touchdown, Basket, Goal! Sports Poems for Little Athletes by Leo Landry

• The Fastest Game on Two Feet: And Other Poems About How Sports Began by Alice Low

• Good Sports: Rhymes about Running, Jumping, Throwing and More by Jack Prelutsky

• Soccerverse by Elizabeth Steinglass

Picture books

• Hey, Coach! by Linda Ashman

• Let’s go! = Haw êkwa! by Julie Flett

• Jake at Gymnastics by Rachel Isadora

• Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales

• Soccer Hour by Carol Nevius

• The Way Champs Play by Naomi Osaka

• The Field by Baptiste Paul

• Jump In! by Shadra Strickland

• A Day for Skating by Sarah Sullivan

• Sumo Joe by Mia Wenjen

• On the Line by Kari-Lynn Winters

Picture book biographies

This is a huge category and I have not even come close to capturing all possible picture book biographies here — if you have a favorite to add, please leave a comment!

• Yusra Swims by Julie Abery

• If Lin Can: How Jeremy Lin Inspired Asian Americans to Shoot for the Stars by Richard Ho

• Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull

• Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows

• Daughter of the Light-Footed People: The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez by Belen Medina

• We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

• Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes by Patty Cisneros Prevo

• Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon by Simran Jeet Singh

• Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorrell

• Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick

For more picture book biographies, check out the Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer, which features of number of sports figures.

For older readers, or read-alouds

• The Crossover (and the two following titles in the trilogy, Booked and Rebound) by Kwame Alexander (absolutely incredible novels in verse)

• Who Got Game?: Baseball: Amazing But True Stories! by Derrick D. Barnes (nonfiction)

• Football Genius by Tim Green

• Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky (nonfiction biography)

• Game On! by Gordon Korman

• The Big Field by Mike Lupica

• Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

• Select by Christie Matheson

• Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez

• Ghost (and the rest of the Track series) by Jason Reynolds

• Fast Pitch by Nic Stone

• A Few Bicycles More by Christina Uss

• It’s a Numbers Game! Football by Eric Zweig (nonfiction)

For more chapter book biographies, check out the Who Was? series, as well as the She Persisted chapter book series, both of which feature a number of sports figures

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I hope this Spotlight On issue hit it out of the park ⚾️ for all your sports books needs. I never pass up the opportunity for a pun, and: this one really was for you.

Sarah