Sports Books for Kids That Pack a Punch

Are you watching the Superbowl this month? Do you cheer for other sports at home? What about baseball? soccer? basketball? track? Do your sports fans also love sports books?

Sports books for kids are a distinct sub-genre, a definite “hook” for many reluctant readers. A good sports book offers more than just a sports story, though: it often offers insight on character issues, relationship conflicts, teamwork, perseverance, and more.

Sports Books for Kids That Pack a Punch

Though the books below are all sports books, even non-sports lovers will find them engaging and thought-provoking. Unless otherwise noted, books are for middle grades (~ages 10-12). Titles linked to reviews for more information.

BASEBALL

• Soar by Joan Bauer: In this cozy sports story, Jeremiah has learned through difficulty, but may not be able to pass the lessons on to his teammates.
• Plunked by Michael Northrop: Sometimes, you just want to quit, to not persevere through something hard, to not face your fears. This is just what 12-year-old Jack faces in Plunked after he gets hit with a baseball. 
• The Only Game by Mike Lupica: Character values and the drama of baseball itself take the field in The Only Game, while character development and plot remain on the bench.
• Change-Up by John Feinstein: Feinstein can create a great mystery, but he also shows some interesting behind-the-scenes action for major sporting events in his Final Four Mysteries. The two main characters are high school reporters (Stevie and Susan Carol). (YA)
• Swing by Kwame Alexander: Free verse poetry ripples out like jazz, at times mournful, other times upbeat. Teen love gets center stage, but baseball is never far behind. (YA)

TRACK/RUNNING

• Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu by Jason Reynolds: Each volume of the quartet, starting with Ghost, tells the story of a different member of the team. (4 different books)
• Running for My Life by Lopez Lomong: Mr. Lomong has represented the US at the Olympic Games, this time in the 5000m running event.  But his story is far richer than most sports biographies, and the book itself doesn’t follow the same formula of similar books. (YA)

SOCCER

• Tangerine by Ed Bloor: A realistic sports story that is so much more than a sports story, Tangerine blends soccer, environmentalism, bullying, racism, and physical disability into a well-written, thought-provoking middle grades read.
• Booked by Kwame Alexander: A first-person narrative in verse format in which family dynamics, as in The Crossover, are the main driver of the narrative. 

BASKETBALL

• Crossover by Kwame Alexander: A verse novel for middle grades, The Crossover is an exuberant, touching, and funny tribute to basketball and family.
• Rebound by Kwame Alexander: Charlie is struggling to rebound after his dad’s death in this well crafted, middle grades verse novel full of comics, basketball, and a strong family center.
• The Great Wall of Lucy Lu  by Wendy Wan-Long Shang: Lucy Wu is a typical sixth grader, with a perfect older sister, clueless little brother, nice parents who don’t always get her. She’s looking forward to a stellar school year headlined by basketball—her passion—when out of the blue comes dire news….
• Play Makers by Mike Lupica: Protagonist Ben McBain is learning new meanings of the word competition. Not only does Chase Braggs, star player on the rival school’s team, threaten Ben’s moves on the court, but he quickly becomes a rival for the affections of Ben’s best friend Lily. 
• Athlete v. Mathlete by W. C. Mach: Owen and Russell are twins, but couldn’t be less alike; not only in appearance but also in ability, temperament and interests. The story moves along with believable tension building between the brothers, who love each other but have issues with turf invasion.
• Games of Deception by Andrew Maraniss: Maraniss manages to squeeze in basketball history, Olympics history, the history of recreational sports, American racial tension, European tension, and the story of one U. S. basketball team into a gripping nonfiction narrative.  (YA)
• Dragon Hoops by Gene Luan Yang: Dragon Hoops turns a high-school basketball championship season into a close-up look at life’s changes and choices. (YA)
• Foul Trouble by John Feinstein: Foul Trouble‘s greatest value is probably to the young man considering a sports career or pursuing an athletic scholarship: a worthy goal, but cautions are in order.  Athletics are as  corruptible as any other human undertaking. (YA)

FOOTBALL

• Kid Owner by Tim Green: A 12-year-old inherits the Dallas Cowboys, leading to a unique set of challenges and opportunities for character growth.
• Unstoppable by Tim Green: A middle-grade boy’s football ambitions crash against a cancer diagnosis in this frank tale by NFL star Tim Green.
• Final Season by Tim Green: Final Season is a touching look at the short- and long-term effects of football on family life, personal value, and physical health.
• Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica: Mike Lupika’s young hero in Million-Dollar Throw endures a pressure cooker of emotion and competition but comes out stronger for it.
• Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson: Jacqueline Woodson’s poignant verse novel explores the cost of professional athletics to some families.
• Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin: Undefeated is a fascinating account of how a group of talented, creative, and brave young Indians changed the game of football forever. (MG/YA)
• Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow: Written in Tebow’s trademark all-or-nothing, emotional style, the world Tebow describes is the world occupied by most teenagers–or the one that lies just over the horizon after high school graduation. (nonfiction; YA)

MISCELLANEOUS

• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: The Boys in the Boat is a gripping nonfiction story about teamwork, perseverance, and triumph at the Olympics. (Olympic rowing) (MG/YA)
• Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson: The rough, tough world of girls’ roller derby is the setting for this surprisingly sweet depiction of friendship, breakup, and change.
• Grace, Gold, and Glory by Gabrielle Douglas: Sixteen-year-old Gabrielle Douglas’s jaw-dropping performance in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition, just edging out her closest Russian competitor to win gold, was certainly one of the most memorable moments in the 2012 Olympics.  Perhaps even more noteworthy for Christian fans of the games was her response on her Twitter account, “I give all the glory to God.”
• The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers: Phiona is not merely a chess prodigy. She is a child of Providence: so many strands come together in her story, strands of people who are Christians and who have providentially ended up in sports ministry–or chess ministry, in particular. (nonfiction) (YA)
• Checked by Cynthia Kadahota. Connor has already lost two moms, one to death and the other (his stepmom) to divorce. Partly as a result, he’s beginning to question his (and his dad’s) devotion to a sport that demands a lot of the family. His best friends provide valuable support, including one Christian friend who often assures Connor of his prayers.

NOT SPORTS BOOKS EXACTLY, BUT…

The following aren’t typical “sports books,” but they feature sports prominently.

• All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat: All Thirteen gives the rescue of the Thai boys’ soccer team the drama and excitement it deserves.
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt: Holling Hoodhood comes to appreciate more than Shakespeare in this humorous historical fiction middle school novel.  (cross country/running)
• Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt: Gary Schmidt’s latest book for teens humorously and poignantly explores love and loss. (lacrosse)
• Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt: To “pay attention” to the world around you is rule #1 of a life well lived, as this winning middle-grade novel shows. (cricket)
• Chirp by Kate Messner: The deeper issue in this story is the #metoo part of Mia’s experience, the inappropriate attention from her gymnastics instructor, and indications that it didn’t stop with her. The specific instances are much less graphic and threatening than what happened to Rachel Denhollander in real life, but clearly could have escalated if Mia kept it to herself. (note discussion/considerations)

Readers, what are your favorite sports books? Let us know in the comments!