Published: September 12, 2007
The books on this list feature girls and women as active participants in sports and physical activity. There are books for all ages and reading levels. Some books feature champion female athletes and others are fiction. Most of the books written in the 1990's and 2000's are still in print and are available in bookstores. Earlier books may be found in your school or public library. If you cannot find a book, ask your librarian or bookstore owner to order it.
Bolded books are new to the list since the last update.*
The descriptions for these books are quoted with permission from Great Books for Girls: More than 600 Books to Inspire Today's Girls and Tomorrow's Women, Kathleen Odean, Ballantine Books, New York, 1997.~
The descriptions for these books are quoted from Amazon.com.A Turn for Lucas, Gloria Averbuch, illustrations by Yaacov Guterman, Mitten Press, Canada, 2006. Averbuch, author of best-selling soccer books with legends like Brandi Chastain and Anson Dorrance, shares her love of the game with children in this book. This is a story about Lucas and Amelia, the soccer-playing twins who share this love of the game. A Very Young Skater, Jill Krementz, Dell Publishing, New York, NY, 1979. Ages 7-10, 52 p., ($6.95). The story of a 10-year-old female skater told in words and pictures.
A Winning Edge, Bonnie Blair with Greg Brown, Taylor Publishing, Dallas, TX, 1996. Ages 8-12, 38 p., ($14.95). Bonnie Blair shares her passion and motivation for skating, the obstacles that she's faced, the sacrifices and the victories.
Alex in Rome, Tessa Duder, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1992. Ages 12-14, 166 p., ($14.95). As a member of the New Zealand swimming team, 15-year-old Alex gets her first taste of independence as she faces the challenges of competition in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
All That Jazz: Pink Parrots #2, B.B. Calhoun, Little, Brown and Company, Waltham, MA, 1990. Ages 8-12. Jasmine (Jazz) is faced with the age-old choice between popularity and daring to be different. Should Jazz hang out with the more popular "mature" girls in school or should she be loyal to the Parrots?
Allie's Basketball Dream, Barbara Barber, Lee and Low Books, Inc., 1996. Ages 6-9, 32 p. Repeatedly told that "basketball's a boys' game," a girl's confidence falters and then rebounds in this encouraging tale. Allie tries out her brand-new basketball, a gift from her father, at a city playground. Although she wants to be a professional player, first she has to get the ball in, and not even her girlfriends want to play. Allie finally convinces one boy that girls can shoot hoops too, and her father returns just in time to see her make a perfect basket.
Always Dream, Kristi Yamaguchi with Greg Brown, Taylor Publishing, Dallas, TX, 1998. Ages 8-12, ($14.95). Kristi Yamaguchi shares inspirational stories about overcoming her fears, making difficult choices and learning about her heritage.
Amazing Women Athletes (The Women's Hall of Fame Series), Jill Bryant, Second Story Press, 2002. Ages 9-12, 75 p. This collective biography profiles four Canadian athletes (Bobbie Rosenfeld, Sandra Schmirler, Chantal Petitclerc and Hayley Wickenheiser), four Americans (Annie Smith Peck, Julie Krone and Venus and Serena Williams), one Australian (Cathy Freeman) and an Olympic contender from China (Chen Lu). The sports that are highlighted include: curling, horse racing, ice hockey, ice skating, mountain climbing, tennis, track and field and wheelchair racing. The four- to six-page sketches present brief information on each athlete's childhood, family, goals, and achievements within her sport.
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping, Peggy Parish, Harper Trophy, New York, NY, 1985. New reader, 55 p., ($3.50). One of a series of books about the adventurous and spunky Amelia Bedelia. When Amelia Bedelia goes camping, anything can happen.
Amelia Earhart, Richard Tames, Franklin Watts, Inc., New York, NY, 1989. Ages 14 and up, 32 p., ($3.95). A biography of Amelia Earhart with many photos.
Amelia Earhart: Courage in the Sky, Mona Kerby, Viking Penguin, New York, NY, 1990. Ages 7-11, 57 p., ($10.95). When Amelia was a little girl, she liked to read adventure stories. Boys were her heroes. Just once, she wished for an adventure story about a girl. Amelia Earhart wrote that story with her own life. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, the first woman to fly it alone, and the first person in the world to cross it twice.
Amelia's Fantastic Flight, Rose Bursik, Henry Holt & Co., New York, NY, 1992. Preschool, ($5.95). Amelia's little spin covers six continents and takes her to 14 countries. Two full-spread maps, plus smaller inset maps throughout, enable children to follow Amelia's amazing journey.
American Gold Gymnasts: Balancing Act, Gabrielle Charbonnet, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 117 p., ($3.50). Maya, a new girl at Sugarloaf Gymnastic Academy from Russia, tries to learn everything she can about America.
American Gold Gymnasts: Competition Fever, Gabrielle Charbonnet, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 118 p., ($3.50). Kelly, the number-one gymnast at Sugarloaf Gymnastic Academy faces stiff competition from a new gymnast. Can they learn to work together for the team?
American Gold Gymnasts: Split Decision, Gabrielle Charbonnet, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 135 p., ($3.50). Monica has to decide if it's time to quit gymnastics.
American Gold Gymnasts: The Bully Coach, Gabrielle Charbonnet, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 131 p., ($3.50). Kelly, Maya and their friends learn to deal with a famous visiting coach who praises their strengths but is harsh – even cruel – when it comes to their flaws.
American Gold Swimmers: In Deep Water, Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 137 p., ($3.50). When Kristy's first boyfriend, Jason, thinks she's too competitive, she has to decide what is more important: pleasing Jason or pleasing herself.
American Gold Swimmers: The Human Shark, Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 140 p., ($3.50). Kristy spends too much time at the video arcade at an important meet and risks letting her teammates down.
American Gold Swimmers: The Winning Stroke, Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 8-12, 140 p., ($3.50). Kristy makes the swim team and faces up to disappointment at her first meet.
America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, David A. Adler, Harcourt, Inc., 2000. Young reader, 28 p., ($16.00). Trudy Ederle didn't learn to swim until she was seven. But once she hit the water, there was no stopping her. At the age of 17, Trudy won three medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. But what Trudy planned to do next had never been done…by a woman. She would tackle the most difficult swim of all: the 21 miles of cold, choppy water that separate England from France. She would swim the Channel faster than any man.
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Angel and Me and the Bayside Bombers, Mary Jane Auch, Little, Brown, 1989. Ages 7-9. “Brian Hegney, a third grader, has challenged the Bayside Bombers soccer team to a game. However, there is a problem, he doesn't have a team. He recruits his cousin Angel to help him. Angel coaches and trains a group of second grade girls and boys to victory.”
Annie Oakley: Young Markswoman, Ellen Wilson, Aladdin Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1989. Ages 8-12, 192 p., ($4.95). From the “Childhood of Famous Americans” series, this book focuses on the childhood of the famous American sharpshooter.
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At the Controls: Women in Aviation, Carole S. Briggs, Lerner, 1991. Ages 10-14. “The history of American women and planes.”
Athletes: Dynamic Modern Women, Laurie Lindop, Henry Holt & Co., 1996. Ages 10-14, 128 p., ($21.40). Highlights the lives and athletic accomplishments of 10 women: Bonnie Blair, Florence Griffith Joyner, Julie Krone, Nancy Lopez, Diana Nyad, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Monica Seles, Lynette Woodard, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kim Zmeskal.
Athletes (Women in Profile Series), Leslie Strudwick, Weigl Educational Publishers Limited: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1999. Ages 9-12, 48 p. Chronicles the lives and achievements of talented women athletes, including speed skater Bonnie Blair, gymnast Nadia Comenici, and track athlete Wilma Rudolph.
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Babe Didrikson: Athlete of the Century, R. R. Knudson, Viking, 1985. Ages 9-12. “This biography gives a balanced picture of an immensely talented and determined woman who, although is not well known, is one of the most talented athletes ever.”
The Babysitters Club #73: Mary Anne and Miss Priss, Ann M. Martin, Scholastic Inc., New York, NY, 1994. Ages 8-10, 141 p., ($3.50). Mary Anne wants Jenny (Miss Priss) to join the kickball team they're starting, but Jenny doesn't want to play, and nobody else wants her on the team anyway.
Baseball Ballerina, Kathryn Cristaldi, Random House, New York, NY, 1992. Ages 6-8, 48 p., ($3.50). She plays shortstop for the Sharks. So what's she doing taking ballet lessons? And what if her team finds out? You'll love this funny story about baseball, ballet and friends.
Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation, Eileen F. Lebow, Brassey's, Inc., 2002. 315 p. Amelia Earhart is, without a doubt, the world's most famous woman aviator, but she was not the first. Before Amelia introduces the world's remarkable women pioneer aviators who braved the dangers and challenges of the first two decades of flight. The story begins with Raymonde de Laroche, Russia's Lydia Zvereva, Germany's Melli Beese, Britain's Hilda Hewlett, America's Harriet Quimby and the other women pilots profiled here rose above cotemporary gender stereotypes and proved their ability to fly the temperamental heavier-than-air contraptions of the day.
Beneath the Armor of an Athlete: Real Strength on the Wrestling Mat, Lisa Whitsett, Wish Publishing, Terre Haute, Indiana, 2003. 162 p., ($16.95). Beneath the Armor of an Athlete is the story of a female Olympic freestyle wrestler. Her love for the sport and striving for success expose her to rare challenges, all of which introduce new experiences in her life. From all-male wrestling camps and tournaments to the competitive ranks of national and international women's freestyle wrestling, this athlete learns that her sport is the gateway to learning more about who she really is and what she is capable of becoming.
Big Girl in the Middle, Gabrielle Reece with Karen Karbo, Three Rivers Press, NY, 1997. Ages 14 and up, 256 p., ($12.00). Autobiography of pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece. At six-foot-three, 170 pounds, Reece is at once beautiful and brutish, feminine and rowdy, accessible and intimidating, a woman who is exploding female stereotypes and redefining our image of the female athlete.
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Billie Jean King, William Stanford and Carl R. Green, Crestwood House, 1993. Ages 9-12. “A biography that focuses on King's accomplishments and her contributions to tennis.”
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Blowing Bubbles with the Enemy, Alison Jackson, Dutton, 1993. Ages 9-11. “The girls at Jefferson Middle School pull together in a wonderful way for a worthy cause: supporting the girls' basketball team. When talented basketball player Bobby tries out for the boys' team, the coach cheats her of a fair chance and none of the boys object.”
Body Talk: The Straight Facts on Fitness, Nutrition, and Feeling Great about Yourself! Ann Douglas, Maple Tree Press, Toronto, Canada, 2006. Ages 9-13, 64 p. An honest look at how women's bodies are objectified by the media while also talking about eating disorders, fad diets, and the beauty business. Gives girls the information they need to make healthy decisions, get active, stay motivated, eat a balanced diet, and generally take care of themselves.*
Bonnie Blair: Golden Streak, Cathy Breitenbucher, Lerner, 1994. Ages 9-12. “This biography focuses mainly on her career with details of her race history and her many successes.”
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The Boonsville Bombers, Alison Cragin Herzig, Viking, 1991. Ages 8-10. “Ten-year-old Emma loves baseball and her brother Michael plays for the Boonsville Bombers. Michael won't let Emily join until she gives him one of her baseball cards. Emma combines luck with strong will in a way that leads to a happy ending for her.”
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Brief Garland: Ponytails, Basketball, & Nothing But Net, Harold Keith, Crowell, New York, NY, 1999, ($18.95). Ages 9-12, 307 p. “Dismayed when he discovers he is assigned an all-girl basketball team, the new coach becomes increasingly committed to his players as he works with them.”
The Broadway Ballplayers, Maureen Holohan, 1998. Ages 10-14. ($6.00-$6.95) A series of 5 books currently: 1) Friday Nights (Basketball), 2) Left Out (Softball), 3) Everybody's Favorite (Soccer), 4) Don't Stop (Soccer & Cross Country), and 5) Sideline Blues (Volleyball & Basketball). “For anyone who has been concerned about the limited options and unrealistic body images available to girls, these books offer exhilarating alternatives.” - Donna Lopiano, Ph.D.
Cammi Granato: Hockey Pioneer, Thom Loverro, Lerner sports: Lerner publishing Group, 2000. Ages 9-13, 80 p. Loverro tells the story of how the only girl playing a "boys-only" game in Downer's Grove, Ill. grew up to be a captain for the U.S. Olympic team. Loverro's quick paced biography covers all of Granato's accomplishments on the ice with plenty of statistics and some nice quotes from the star herself. The book has lots of color photographs of Granato and a page of career highlights for those who love to consume statistics.
Careers for Women Who Love Sports: Get in the Game, Robin Roberts, Milbrook Press, 2000. Ages 9-13, 48 p. Roberts, a sports broadcaster at ESPN, is the host of the Get in the Game series directed at young female sports fans.
Cat Running, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Delacorte Press, New York, NY, 1994. Ages 9-12, 168 p., ($14.95). Eleven-year-old Cat Kinsey who is the fastest runner in school, but her father won't let her run in slacks. She decides to build a secret hideaway to escape her unhappy home life. She slowly gets to know a poor family that has come to California after losing their home in Texas.
Christy's Magic Glove, Gibbs Davis, Bantam Skylark Books, New York, NY, 1992. Ages 6-9, 70 p., ($3.25). The Never Sink Nine, featuring baseball's best ballet-dancing star, Christy Chung, is gearing up for Saturday's big game against the Vampires, the scariest team in the league.
Cinder-Elly, Frances Minters, Penguin Books, New York, NY, 1994. Young Readers, 30 p., ($13.99). In this rap version of the traditional fairy tale, the overworked younger sister gets to go to a basketball game and meets a star player.
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Coaching Evelyn: Fast, Faster, Fastest Woman in the World, Pat Connolly, Harper, 1991. Ages 12-14. “Coach Pat Connolly describes her work with runner Evelyn Ashford from their first encounter at UCLA in 1976 to the 1984 Olympics, where Ashford won two gold medals.”
Cool Careers for Girls in Sports, Ceel Pasterneck & Linda Thornburg, Impact Publications, 1999. 120 p. Profiles of 10 women who work in the sports field: a golf pro, basketball player, ski and snowboard instructor, sports broadcaster, trainer, sports psychologist, basketball official, entrepreneur and two athletic directors. Each 10- to 13-page profile has a general description of the job, how the individual began and progressed to her present level, and some mention of overcoming the difficulties of being female in a male-dominated field. Each description includes the salary range of the position and provides a career checklist to help readers determine their suitability for such work.
Counting Coup, Larry Colton, Warner Books, 2000. 448 p. Colton journeyed to a Native American Crow reservation in Montana for 15 months to chronicle the stories of the girls' basketball team at Hardin High School. More than just another version of In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle, the girls of Hardin High give new meaning to the term “underdog” as they battle against the racial tensions, alcoholism and gender bias that exists in their community while playing the game they love.
Court Quest: Playing Women's Squash in the USA and Canada 1992-1994, Joy Conrad, Bench Press Books, British Columbia, Canada, 2002. 166 p., ($15.00). With squash as the vehicle for telling a pivotal part of her life story, the author takes us intimately with her as she tries to overcome her doubts, struggle with fitness, improve her game to national caliber, deal with career and love life crises, and stay open to her leading. A Changing Course book.
Crashing the Net: The U.S Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team and the Road to Gold, Mary Turco, Harper Perennial, 1999. 242 p. When the unbearable heat makes you long for winter, grab a slushie and the story of the first gold medal for women's ice hockey in the Olympic Games. The book follows the American team through locker rooms and press rooms, from tryouts to the gold-medal game vs. Canada, including personal anecdotes and quotes from the players themselves.
Dirt on Their Skirts: The Story of the Young Women Who Won the World Championship, Doreen Rappaport and Lyndall Callan, Dial Books, New York, NY, 2000. Ages 4-8, 32 p. The story of the 1946 championship game of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is seen through the eyes of a fictional young spectator. Dirty Socks Don't Win Games, Dean Marney, Scholastic, Inc. New York, NY, 1992. Ages 8-10, 88 p., ($2.95). The story of a boys' basketball team that faces the challenge of playing a girls' team that is taller, faster, stronger and more skilled.
Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion, An autobiography as told to Steve Woodward, Bantam Books, New York, NY, 1996. Ages 9-13, 112 p., ($14.95). The story of the youngest U.S. gymnastics champion. Dominique talks about her passion for gymnastics, her years of intense training, her favorite events, coach, her teammates and family.
Dominique Moceanu: A Gymnastics Sensation, Krista Quiner, Bradford Book Company, 1997. Ages 10-14, 182 p. ($12.95). A biography of the youngest member of the gold medal winning gymnastics team at the 1996 Olympic Games. Includes photographs, quotes and stories of her life.
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Down Under, Down Under: Diving Adventures on the Great Barrier Reef, Ann McGovern, Macmillian, 1989. Ages 8-10. “This is a photo-essay about a 12-year-old girl diving in the Great Barrier Reef with her marine biologist mother.”
The Everything You Want to Know About Sports Encyclopedia: Sports Illustrated For Kids, Sports Illustrated, New York, NY, 1994. ($7.99). Provides an overview of a variety of sports including history, equipment, athletes and skills.
Extraordinary Girls, Maya Ajmera, Olateju Omolodun, Sarah Strunk, Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999. 45 p., ($16.95). Stories and photos from more than 60 countries highlighting the things girls do and the things they care about, no matter where they live.
The Finnish Line, Linda Gerber, Puffin Books, New York, NY, 2007. Young Adult, 224 p. From the Students Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) series comes this story about a young ski jumper from Park City, Utah who finds herself competing a long way from home—in Finland! As she struggles to emerge from her famous skier father's shadow, she learns how to balance school, a social life and her training.Fleet-Footed Florence, Marilyn Sachs, Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1981. The story of Florence Griffith-Joyner, Olympic champion.
Florence Griffith Joyner: Dazzling Olympian, Nathan Aaseng, Lerner Publications, Minneapolis, MN, 1989. Ages 8-12, 60 p. Available from the National Women's History Project, Windsor, CA, 707-838-6000. The story of the three-time Olympic gold medalist in track & field. (Contact publisher for other female athletes in the series like Jennifer Capriati).
Flying Free: America's First Black Aviators, Philip S. Hart, Lerner Publications Company, 1992. 64 p., ($19.95). One group of aviators was not so well received during the early days of aviation. Black Americans who flew airplanes, and those who wanted to learn, faced segregation and racial discrimination. Many airports were off-limits to black pilots. And neither the United States military nor private aviation schools would train blacks to fly. In Flying Free, you'll learn how black pilots of the 1920s and 1930s overcame obstacles. Black aviators started their own flight schools, put on air shows, flew cross-country, and persuaded the military to train black soldiers for aviation combat.
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Forward Pass, Thomas J. Dygard, Morrow, 1989. Ages 11-14. “Desperate for a football player who can catch long passes, Coach Gardner recruits Jill Winston, a star from the girls' basketball team. As the season ends, Jill has to make a choice between boys' football and girls' basketball.”
Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like? Jane Gottesman and Penny Marshall, Random House, 2001. 224 p. The extraordinary collection of photographs and rich personal stories that make up Game Face documents the tremendous impact that sports has on the daily lives of millions of girls and women. On playing fields and street corners, in backyards and gyms, the people in this arresting array of pictures are unselfconsciously exploring the physical and emotional pleasures of competition and play. Each image offers an affirming and satisfying answer to the question at the heart of Game Face: What do girls and women look like, freed from traditional feminine constraints, using their bodies in joyful and empowering ways?
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Get Set! Swim! Jeannine Atkins, Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York, 1998. Young Readers, 30 p, ($15.95). “A young Hispanic girl learns the value of teamwork and family pride at her first big swim meet.”
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The Girl Who Could Fly, William H. Hooks, Macmillian, 1995. Ages 7