Best Children's Sports Biographies

This Fully illustrated picture book biography tells the story of a young boy who many said was too short to play in high school, too weak to play in college and not good enough to play in the NBA. Author/Illustrator, Anthony Curcio has a B.A.

Honest and heartfelt, frank and funny, Aly's story is enhanced with never-before-published photos, excerpts from the personal journals she's kept since childhood that chronicle memorable moments with her teammates, and hard-won advice for readers striving to rise above challenges, learn to love themselves, and make their own dreams come true. Aly Raisman is a gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast who captained the U.S. team to victories in 2012 and 2016.

Gold medal-winning Olympic gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion Laurie Hernandez shares her story in her own words in this debut book for fans of all ages—with never-before-seen photos! Laurie’s other career highlights include all-around silver, beam gold, and floor exercise bronze at the 2016 US Olympic Trials, and bronze in all-around, floor exercise, beam, and uneven bars at the 2016 national championships.

On her determined journey Trista meets friends who help her learn about the sport and share her passion for gymnastics. Perfect Balance Gymnastics Books teach girls to be kind to each other, flexible in life, courageous, strong, and most of all, confident. Melisa grew up in San Jose, California where she trained at Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club for ten years.

Give It a Go, Eat a Rainbow uses charming illustrations by 12-year old Alexander Guylay combined with real-life photography and simple rhymes by award winning nutrition educator Kathryn Kemp Guylay to create an augmented reality that immediately draws kids into the story. The colors (and fruits and veggies) lead to the pot of gold, where Blake feels vibrant and full of energy. Targeting early childhood and elementary school age groups, this picture book will be simple yet profound in promoting healthy eating habits in children. When conceptualizing her new children's book on eating well, Give It a Go, Eat a Rainbow , Alex's mom Kathryn Kemp Guylay knew immediately that her son's artwork would be an ideal fit for the book. His warm and witty sense of humor allows him to share information about healthy living in a way that is high impact and well-received by other children.

After breaking or tying more than sixty records in hockey, it's no wonder that Wayne Gretzky is known as "The Great One." Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, of the Montreal Canadiens, was the first National Hockey League player to do it, in the 1944–1945 season. Finally New York Islander Mike Bossy tied the record thirty-six years later. One season later, Wayne Gretzky, just twenty years old, skated onto the ice. On this gusty winter day, Wayne felt lucky. By the end of the second period, he scored again for a hat trick: three goals altogether. Five minutes into the third period, Wayne slid the puck around a rushing defender. Philadelphia left their net wide open. Grant Fuhr, the Oilers’ goalie, pushed the puck to right wing Glenn Anderson. “Pass it to me!” Wayne shouted from the Flyers’ zone. Wayne Gretzky didn’t just break the record. And by the end of the season, Wayne scored ninety-two goals in eighty games for another record. Wayne would go on to break or tie more than sixty records. (In hockey, players earn a point for each goal or assist.). Wayne wasn’t the biggest or fastest or strongest. Wayne Douglas Gretzky was a different kind of hockey player, almost from the time he could walk. Chapter 1: Growing Up Gretzky In Canada, hockey is THE sport. When Canadian children dream of being a pro athlete, most don’t think of baseball or football. Wayne was born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, a small city in the province of Ontario, Canada. Just skated.” And that’s where it all began—on the river running right past the Gretzky family farm. It’s where Alexander Graham Bell worked on his landmark invention. It hit Walter on the head, cracking his helmet. After Wayne, Walter and Phyllis had four more children: Kim, Keith, Brent, and Glen. On weekends, they’d all troop out to the family farm to visit their grandparents. Every Sunday after church, Grandma Gretzky made a huge dinner. So she served traditional Polish food like pierogi, a kind of dumpling. And every Saturday night, from the time Wayne was little, the family gathered around the TV. They watched a show called Hockey Night in Canada . Using a tiny hockey stick, he’d shoot a rubber ball or rolled-up sock between Grandma’s legs. Poor Walter waited for hours in the freezing cold. Now Walter could sit in his warm kitchen and watch Wayne out the window. The family called it “Wally Coliseum.”. Wayne wanted to learn everything about playing hockey. So his parents tried to sign him up for the Brantford Atom league team.

From the editors of Sports Illustrated Kids comes The Big Book of Who: Basketball , a 128-page collection of basketball's brightest stars, past and present.

Volume 1: " Michael Jordan's Greatest Moments : An Inspirational Coloring Book Biography for Adults and Kids". Volume 2: " Retro Air Jordan: Shoes : A Detailed Coloring Book for Adults and Kids". Author/Illustrator, Anthony Curcio has a B.A.

“The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak” ( Publishers Weekly ). Gr 6 Up—At the age of 15, Romero became the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, the tallest mountain on each continent. Although the length of the book may be intimidating, it is an easy read and will appeal to adventure seekers.—MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY "Romero's incredible, inspiring story may not inspire all readers to become record-setting mountaineers, but it will motivate them to set sights on goals of their own to achieve." (Kirkus Reviews). Romero’s incredible, inspiring story may not inspire all readers to become record-setting mountaineers, but it will motivate them to set sights on goals of their own to achieve.

"Polka Heartland" describes the artists, venues, instruments, and music-makers who have been pivotal to polka's popularity across the Midwest and offers six full-color photo galleries to immerse readers in today's vibrant polka scene. (Michael Popke, The Isthmus, November 2015) In the introduction to Polka Heartland, March (state folklorist for Wisconsin, 1983-2009) writes that he and photographer Dick Blau "aim for in-depth, visually oriented views into the active polka scenes of [their] region" and that it is a project they do not "take lightly." Whether it be the Pulaski Polka days or the Las Vegas Latin Night Club, ... polka plays a vital role in the lives and the identity of these communities...the enthusiasm for the music, and the recent attraction by a younger audience,suggest that the music is evolving yet again... As a music that seems to define the midwest, this is welcome news... (Professor Kenneth J. Bindas, The Annals of Iowa, Vol. It is both a “coffee table book” that would be enjoyed by a general audience interested in the photographs and vignettes of the musicians and dancers, and a solid academic study of polka, particularly as seen in Wisconsin but also strongly applicable to polka throughout the United States.