Best Teen & Young Adult Hockey
Dan Bylsma shares his experiences rising up through the ranks of amateur and professional hockey while giving advice on issues including becoming a team player, knowing the rules, relating to coaches and teammates, and working hard. In today's jaded sports world filled with pampered, trash-talking athletes, perhaps only a hockey player could write a book extolling the value of such old-school customs as practice, teamwork, personal responsibility, hard work, and perseverance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So, my coach made us read this book during the off season."
"Just put your choice of activity/life goal in place of hockey and it is a great guide for life."
"Wonderful book."
"While Dan is now the Pittsburgh Coach,this is how to strive to always try to do your best !"
"A great read and eye opening."
"Very fun to read."
"Even though I speak or write about and teach many of these things quite often, I found myself addressing my mistakes in each of my roles as I read the book. Thank you for taking the time to inspire even us older hockey guys with a book written for kids, because really, we are all still kids at heart! This new book, "So You Want To Play In The NHL", for kids, and the existing book for adults, "So Your Son Wants To Play In The NHL", set the standards by which all of us in the sporting world should continually strive to achieve."
"As a coach and someone who knows the personal dedication it takes to achieve life's goals, this book confirms everything I have done in my life and teach to the players on my team."
2 Hockey: How It Works (The Science of Sports) (The Science of Sports (Sports Illustrated for Kids))
It can be exciting ― and painful ― to watch a hockey player get checked into the boards. Her books have received awards from Learning magazine, the Association of Educational Publishers, and the Society of School Librarians International.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Our neighbor's on is a big hockey fan and just the right age for this book."
"Great for reading together with 8 year old."
"The book is easy to read, has lots of pictures, and interesting information."
"This small book has wonderful infomation on the mechanics and science of ice hockey."
"Perfect for my hockey playing son who loves math and science."
"Easy read, interesting too."
"This is an easy read."
"Gave as a gift and the recipient was a 9 year old boy and he was thrilled with the book."
It can be exciting ― and painful ― to watch a hockey player get checked into the boards. Her books have received awards from Learning magazine, the Association of Educational Publishers, and the Society of School Librarians International.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Our neighbor's on is a big hockey fan and just the right age for this book."
"Great for reading together with 8 year old."
"The book is easy to read, has lots of pictures, and interesting information."
"This small book has wonderful infomation on the mechanics and science of ice hockey."
"Perfect for my hockey playing son who loves math and science."
"Easy read, interesting too."
"This is an easy read."
"Gave as a gift and the recipient was a 9 year old boy and he was thrilled with the book."
Best Teen & Young Adult Soccer
Get inspired to be your best—in sports and in life—with this uplifting memoir from star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan that includes eight pages of full-color photos as well as book jacket that doubles as a poster! In addition to detailing her triumphs on the field, she also describes other elements of her life, such as a long-term long-distance relationship, the chronic sports injuries she suffered, and her strong performance at college. In each chapter, Morgan provides helpful advice on fulfilling one's objectives, accepting failure, and staying positive and focused, as well as the importance of a good support network and the value of being competitive.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"both are moderate soccer fans, but read the book from cover to cover."
"My daughter loved it."
"The book came on time and I enjoyed this book."
"Great book!"
"Bought as a gift!"
"I chose this book for my daughter who is a 12yrold soccer player - she loves the book already."
"My daughter was so happy to receive this book for Christmas, and an added surprise was the poster on the reverse side of the dust cover."
"I highly recommend this book!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Football
In this personal autobiography, Gabrielle tells her story of faith, perseverance, and determination, demonstrating you can reach your dreams if you let yourself soar. This inspiring autobiography will be enjoyed by young fitness enthusiasts, dedicated gymnasts, or Christian adolescents, though it focuses mostly on the family's sacrifice and less on the actual competition at the Olympics, which some listeners may find disappointing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is a great read and realization for anyone considering the sport or currently in gymnastics that will open the eyes to the fact that the road to success is not always easy, but as the great Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”."
"Lovely story of faith, hope, love, and achievement."
"Her writing sings to the heart of a teen, phrased in a way that lets your mind imagine the exact words coming from a little personal text message from Gabby to you. She empowers her decisions with Biblical truth, and in doing so, she helps us believe that God's plan is perfect, no matter how the world may convince you otherwise."
"Another one added to my arsenal of daily motivation 😋 Thank you to Gabrielle and your wonderful Mother and Siblings :-) for letting your light shine so bright that you inspire the world to do the same <3 <3 <3 I hope to excel like you throughout my own journey!!!!"
"She has put a little of the meaningfulness inside the secret-planet sort-of world of a tumbler into words anyone can journey there with."
"Everyone saw Gabby's performance at the Olympics, but in this novel, readers get a glimpse of the real Gabby Douglas: an American teenager who happens to enjoy gymnastics. One thing that I enjoyed about this novel was that it sounds like a teenager wrote it."
"This book was amazing."
"The book is easy-to-read, and the message is so inspirational!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Basketball
Beyond Championships Teen Edition focuses on the nine principles Coach Dru promotes to his players and tries to live his own life. He is a graduate of East Liverpool High School and Ohio University, with a degree in Business Administration.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He hasn't read it yet, but at quick glance I like the message and Christian theme of author's life. Makes a great gift for a young basketball fan, especially if a Lebron James fan."
"My son, 10 year old, loved the book."
"as promised and delivered."
"The center of the book has some pictures of Coach Dru Joyce and his family, along with some of the players and others who were influential in his life. I enjoyed reading through this "playbook for winning at life" and feel that it is a great tool for my son to use in his daily devotional time."
"I love finding great books that inspire my children to be the best that they can be. I was recently introduced to Beyond Championships A Playbook for Winning at Life - Teen Edition. I love that it helps teens understand the importance of making the right choices in life. Something that I found really neat was that the book talks about The Power of Words. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”."
"His big comment was how much this book helped to know how to tell you are making the right decisions, he shared that he thought teens face a lot of difficult decision and it was nice to feel like someone understood that."
"And at the end of book they included state championship box scores from 2000-2003 and Lebron James high school stats. I received this book complimentary from BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review on my blog and social media."
"I really liked BEYOND CHAMPIONSHIPS because it had a lot of interesting stories and morals to apply to real life."
Best Teen & Young Adult Track & Field
The book lays out in detail how youth and teen athletes can achieve successively higher levels, year after year after year, following the proven success of Mick's training program. The results he has gotten are nothing short of remarkable including National Champions six consecutive years and having qualified athletes for the Olympic Trials, Hershey National Championships 12 years in a row. As investor he has been investing for more than 20 years and also previously worked as a nuclear engineer for 22 years before retiring at age 43.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is also helpful to parents and coaches who are navigating the challenging waters of the demanding high school race seasons in cross country and track."
"While reading on a subject that I consider "my own", my opinions danced in several directions, but at the conclusion, my impression was that this book is not only comprehensive, but serves as an invaluable resource for coaches, runners, and parents of runners; and one that I'll use to make some modifications to future training regimens that I prescribe."
"For indoors only ran 4 to 6 quarter miles five days a week and that was it. In my early thirties I ran maybe 20 miles a week and ran races every week, the opposite of what the book suggests. In my mid thirties I trained for a marathon, running 60 miles a week (this training guide suggests a lot of long runs putting money in the Bank)."
"I bought this for my son who is 16 years old."
""The Youth and Teen Running Encyclopedia" by Mick Grant and John Molvar is one of the best books on training that I've come across. For instance, the last part of the book provides a detailed description of Coach Molvar's sons, who began running at a young age following the principles of the book and saw significant improvement. These authors are aware of the difficulties of coaching high school kids who sometimes have upwards of 40 races on their schedules."
"Excellent resource!"
"Great Book."
"We bought this to help our young son who has found a love for running."
Best Teen & Young Adult Motor Sports
Learn all about stock car racing's biggest event and the drivers and crew who make it possible in this fascinating, fact-filled book. After working in the pits for ten years on the Indy and NASCAR circuits, Nancy wrote children's books on the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought the book for my husband, he thought it was great...even better when he found the tickets to attend the race I had hidden in the book."
"However, my son means the world to me so when he started becoming interested in it and wanted my husband and I to watch with him, I did and surprisingly, I enjoyed it! I liked that it had a glossary in the back so I could understand the different slang that was used (although my son already knew it all) and the interview with John Andretti. The pictures were amazing and I thought this book was much better than some of the previous ones my son had brought home from the library."
"You'll be able to follow many trailblazers as they raced their cars on the beaches until you meet up with "Big Bill" France, a visionary who would attempt to give some structure to the sport. By the end of 1947 his dream came true when the organization was formed and rules were agreed upon by the consensus of "35 drivers, mechanics, and businesspeople at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach." It will almost feel like you're right in the stands watching as you read some interesting vignettes of the sport and hear the crowds go wild as exciting historical stories are recapped. You'll read about the first Daytona 500 wild `n crazy first race, DeWayne "Tiny" Lund's heroism and Cinderella-like chance at winning a race, how Mario Andretti "thrilled the fans and unnerved the other drivers" with his antics on the track, Richard Petty and David Pearson's extreme rivalry, and how "trading paint" ended up in a real time fight between the Allison brothers and Cale Yarborough. After the "wild 1979 finish," which you'll read about in this book, "NASCAR became a truly national sport," one that can now boast millions of fans of all ages and walks of life."
Best Teen & Young Adult Water Sports
The amazing story of the thirteen-year-old surfer girl who lost her arm in a shark attack but never lost her faith -- and of her triumphant return to competitive surfing. Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery in the wake of the shark attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. Readers may not recall the name Bethany Hamilton, but after a glance at the cover photo, they'll recognize her as the girl who lost her arm to a shark while surfing. She then goes back to discuss the events leading up to the attack and to describe what her life was like before the tragedy--home-schooling in a strong Christian household and lots of competitive surfing. All rights reserved "Surfer Bethany Hamilton, of Kauai, revisits her first book—about her life before and after losing her left arm to a shark in 2003, when she was 13.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My daughter is a swimmer and several of the mentions of surfing can apply to any sport."
"So, now that I'm finished reading her story, I'm going to watch the movie again!"
"This story talks about Bethany's faith in God as she overcomes the hardest obstacle in her life, a shark attack that leaves her with one arm."
"I love how she was so open about her faith and just laid it out black and white, plain and simple. Bethany said in her book that she wants to continue to stay humble and be a good example to young girls out there, even after being famous. Not only has this surfer shown how talented and ambitious she is but, she got to show the world that with Jesus all things are possible!"
"There are pictures and places to write some of her thoughts, and the devotions are really good, in depth, real-life, thought-provoking devotions that will speak to the hearts of young people as well as adults."
"This was a wonderfully inspiring read."
"Its language is accessible to fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. I'm actually using it in the classroom, and I have students talking about life lessons that Bethany shares: about being good team players, good losers, patient, and courageous in the face of adversity. She goes into great details explaining how her parents and brothers helped develop her courageous character to be able to sustain a quite "tragic" incident."
"Amazing true story about a severe shark attack."
Best Teen & Young Adult Martial Arts
Minamoto Yoshitsune should not have been a samurai. In short, fast-moving chapters—each with opening art by Hinds—readers witness the rebellious, brave Yoshitsune's formative battles, rise to fame, and eventual fall in 1189, while gaining an understanding of the changing role of samurai in Japanese society. Every bit as exciting as fiction, Yoshitsune's saga is supported with extensive chapter notes, a time line, a character list, and an explanation of how Turner recreated his world. A near-contemporary chronicle, Heike monogatari, and a nemesis’s history, Azuma kagami, reporting Yoshitsune’s deeds were too thin for the popular imagination, which immediately began embroidering on the sources. Turner unpicks some of the yarn but brightens the colors of what remains so that Yoshitsune, physically a small man, leaps from the pages, larger than life and twice as active. *It’s not often that “biography” and “page-turner” come together in one thought, but Turner’s tale of the twelfth-century warrior Minamoto Yoshitsune is just the work to draw samurai fans from the manga and movie aisles into the nonfiction shelves. Turner navigates the complex family and court relationships with commendable ease, occasionally tossing in a wry remark that supplies a touch of comic relief in so gory a tale: “When your half-brother sends assassins to kill you, it’s a strong hint that your relationship is beyond repair.” Plenty of support is also offered to readers making their first foray into the samurai world: a list of characters and places is located before the introduction; timeline, glossary (with pronunciations), and index can be found at the end. Because he lived more than eight hundred years ago and few reliable sources for the facts of his life exist, it's not the sort of biography that leaves you intimately acquainted with the subject. Turner's action-packed accounts of Yoshitsune's daring and courageous feats in battle, both as a fighter and as a leader, and his ensuing meteoric rise through the ranks of the samurai make for compelling reading. She's taken full advantage of the story's inherent politics and intrigue, treachery and betrayal to write a rollicking good work of narrative nonfiction, and Hinds's digitally assisted brush-and-ink illustrations heighten the mood and atmosphere throughout. Exiled to a Buddhist temple as a child in retaliation for his father’s botched attempt to kidnap the emperor, Minamoto Yoshitsune ran away at 15, eager to train as a samurai and avenge his family’s honor. Before he was a legendary warrior, Yoshitsune was called “a small, pale youth with crooked teeth and bulging eyes.” He began learning archery and swordsmanship almost a decade later than was customary. Turner’s fascinating descriptions of samurai armor, weaponry and strategy help mask an inevitable haziness in the undocumented years of Yoshitsune’s training, and “probably” begins to emerge as a tiresome word. Yet balancing the gaps are carefully chosen details, such as the practice of blackening one’s teeth so as not to appear barbaric, that offer enticing glimpses into the larger culture as well as individual personalities. Later, riding through the night, Yoshitsune and his men set fire to trees and houses, “their way illuminated by the misery of others.” Such violence is part of a warrior’s life, and Turner portions out just enough to satiate. Authenticity and excitement aren’t mutually exclusive, as evidenced by 60 pages of endnotes — the print equivalent of the director’s commentary on a DVD — detailing the process of reconstructing Yoshitsune’s life. Turner takes the opposite view, suggesting that what little is accessible “is nothing more than the fossilized remains of an impossibly complex human experience.” If her stirring portrait is of a ghostly shadow, the living, breathing Yoshitsune must have been truly dazzling.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Little boy I purchased this for (my nephew) love it!"
"I absolutely loved the book."
"I should confess that I purchased the book because the artist is a friend and also because another friend is writing a book connected to 19th century Samurai."
"Sort of an interesting tale but it is very unimaginatively written with lots of modern-day clichés."
"I bought this book for my college student grandson, but wanted to read it first to check it. He had seen the danger of letting your enemies live, since he and his brothers had risen against Taira no Kiyomori who had been merciful to them. However, he was a great administrator, and laid the foundations of a system of government that lasted till the Meiji revolution in the XIXth century."
Best Teen & Young Adult Winter Sports
Paulsen and his team of dogs endured snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, and hallucinations in the relentless push to go on. Fueled by a passion for running dogs, Gary Paulsen entered the Iditarod--the 1150-mile winter sled-dog race between Anchorage and Nome-- in dangerous ignorance and with a fierce determination.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Gary Paulsen is witty, charming and down to earth, as always, in this fantastic Iditarod story."
"A great book for my 11/12 year olds."
"But I read this book years ago and it is one of the funnest books I have ever read."
"), at times beautifully quiet, (watching the sunrise with Cookie), the reader is left with a profound respect for the many brave mushers, the land of Alaska, and the amazing dogs that run this great race."
"I've enjoyed about ten of his works immensely, so far, and want to read more."
"I reread this book about every 5 years."
"It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me want to get into sledding with my husky."
"This may be a children's book, but I have loaned it to all my dog loving friends and they all love it."
Best Teen & Young Adult Extreme Sports
“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.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Got it for my 12-year old son who recently saw Everest, and is having a bit of a mountain climbing obsession as a result."
"If you want your kids to have goals in life, read the book together and discuss it."
"I have been very inspired since reading it and have re-focused on setting goals and getting outdoors and doing more with my four kids including two future summit events."
"This book was for my grandson who is going into 7th grade."
"awesome book of his journeys not only up each mountain but in accomplishing his goals with his family by his side."
"My son enjoyed this book and re-reads it."
Best Teen & Young Adult Baseball & Softball
A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Killion has covered the major national and international sports issues of the past two decades, including the rise of Olympic softball.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Listening to her speak, watching how she interacts with kids, passion for her sport, reasons for her decisions in life all make me proud that my daughter's idol is Jennie."
"Great book for young girls who love softball."
"My daughter really enjoyed the book."
"My daughter loves this book, glad I bought it for her."
"My daughter was going through a rough time and This book is so relatable that it pulled her back up and made her want to fight harder."
"Great inspirational book aimed at young ladies in middle and high school."
"Encouragement is exactly what this book offers and that's really good because it gives us the young people a self drive,esteem a and an inspiration ,someone to look up to and I really thank Jennie finch personally wherever she is and I gave this rating because I was really inspired and I appreciated it a lot and I will continue reading her insp."
Best Teen & Young Adult Olympics & Paralympics
In this personal autobiography, Gabrielle tells her story of faith, perseverance, and determination, demonstrating you can reach your dreams if you let yourself soar. This inspiring autobiography will be enjoyed by young fitness enthusiasts, dedicated gymnasts, or Christian adolescents, though it focuses mostly on the family's sacrifice and less on the actual competition at the Olympics, which some listeners may find disappointing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is a great read and realization for anyone considering the sport or currently in gymnastics that will open the eyes to the fact that the road to success is not always easy, but as the great Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”."
"Lovely story of faith, hope, love, and achievement."
"Her writing sings to the heart of a teen, phrased in a way that lets your mind imagine the exact words coming from a little personal text message from Gabby to you. She empowers her decisions with Biblical truth, and in doing so, she helps us believe that God's plan is perfect, no matter how the world may convince you otherwise."
"Another one added to my arsenal of daily motivation 😋 Thank you to Gabrielle and your wonderful Mother and Siblings :-) for letting your light shine so bright that you inspire the world to do the same <3 <3 <3 I hope to excel like you throughout my own journey!!!!"
"She has put a little of the meaningfulness inside the secret-planet sort-of world of a tumbler into words anyone can journey there with."
"Everyone saw Gabby's performance at the Olympics, but in this novel, readers get a glimpse of the real Gabby Douglas: an American teenager who happens to enjoy gymnastics. One thing that I enjoyed about this novel was that it sounds like a teenager wrote it."
"This book was amazing."
"The book is easy-to-read, and the message is so inspirational!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Camping & Outdoor Activities
This excellent hands-on guide by one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America contains a wealth of practical instruction and advice on how to build everything from a bark teepee and a tree-top house to a log cabin and a sod house. Known as "Uncle Dan" to those who knew him well, Daniel Carter Beard (June 21, 1850-June 11, 1941) was a famed author, illustrator, and social champion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Really nice book."
"Good read, the survival skills shown are able to be implemented and do work."
"If your a prepper, end of world enthusiast or (like me) just want to build structures the old fashion way...this book is a must have."
"The illustrations leave a bit to be desired."