Here are some great reads about your favorite sports, for those times when you aren't on the ice, the court, the field or watching the game.These titles are best enjoyed by ages 9-12 but everyone can get in on the fun.
Ice Time by
Paul Bidwell dreams of playing on a hockey team but knows that his mother can't afford to pay for the registration fees or the equipment. So he plays boot hockey with his friends and practises alone every night on the open-ice rink in the park. When the flu and mononucleosis hit Paul's school and his best friend, Vincent, is laid up with a concussion, an opening is created on Vincent's team, the Wildcats. Paul finally gets the chance to prove to the other players -- and to himself -- that he deserves his time on the ice.
Ghost by
Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down. Ghost has a crazy natural talent, but no formal training. If he can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reason. It all starting with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems, until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who blew his own shot at success by using drugs, and who is determined to keep other kids from blowing their shots at life.
Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook by
Gabby Garcia an overly confident baseball-obsessed sport nut who's going to win your heart. If life were a baseball game, all-star pitcher Gabby Garcia would be having her Best. Season. EVER! Until she's suddenly sent to another school and her winning streak is about to disappear--both on and off the field. But Gabby never gives up! She has a PLAN to keep her champion status intact, and every step of is written out--PLAY by PLAY. How could it not work?
Point Guard by
Gus and Cassie have always been on the same team off the field, but in can they stay friends when they're on the same court? Everyone assumes that Gus, whose family is from the Dominican Republic, is a baseball guy. But this year Gus is even more excited about basketball than any other sport he's ever played. He's been practicing some new moves and lately he's more surprised when he misses his shot than when he scores. Plus now that he's convinced his friend Teddy to try out for the team and Jack's shoulder is healed, it looks like Walton's home team will be unstoppable. But this isn't going to be the season Gus expected, because their team is getting a new player--and she just happens to be one of his best friends. Gus knows Cassie is more than good enough to compete on the boys' team, and besides they really do need a point guard, so why isn't he able to shake the feeling that she belongs on their bleachers rather than their bench? And to make matters worse, with their center Steve Kerrigan constantly making comments about his Dominican heritage, and Steve's dad voicing his views on immigration as he runs for office, Gus is starting to wonder if he really belongs in Walton after all
Abby's Fabulous Season by
In 1955, girls who played hockey were rare, and there was no chance of them playing on the boys' team. Abby, age 9, with her short haircut, supportive parents, and sheer bravado, bluffs her way onto the All-Star team of her league. When her secret is found out, she has to fight to stay on the team. Her story captures the attention of her city and then her whole country, as people begin to root for the plucky young girl who is as good as any boy. As many girls still struggle to be taken seriously in sports, they will find inspiration from this story inspired by the real-life Abby Hoffman, whose bravery on and off the ice helped pave the way for girls in hockey.
Booked by
Like lightning/you strike/fast and free/legs zoom/down field/eyes fixed/on the checkered ball/on the goal/ten yards to go/can't nobody stop you/ can't nobody cop you... In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel THE CROSSOVER, soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read. This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match!