Sports books for young players! (ages 4-8)

Whether you play sports with your kids or love watching games together, sports books can be a great hook for young kids. They enjoy seeing their favorite games as part of their stories, and they're fascinated by real-life stories in picture book biographies. Here are some of my favorites to share with kids ages 4 to 8 years old.

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• The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World, by Katie Smith Milway & Shane Evans
• Baseball: Then to Wow!, by the editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
• Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery, by Sandra Neil Wallace & Bryan Collier
• Don't Throw It to Mo!, by David Adler
• The Field, by Baptiste Paul & Jacqueline Alcántara
• Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon, by Annette Bay Pimentel & Micha Archer
• H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination, by Christopher Myers
• The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton, by Audrey Vernick & Steven Salerno
• Pedro's Big Goal, by Fran Manushkin & Tammie Lyon

The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World, by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Shane W. Evans. A powerful, hopeful picture book for older readers inspired by real events. Fleeing war in Burundi, young Deo ends up at a refugee camp, without his family and surrounded by bullies. He finally finds friendship when he shares his homemade soccer ball, discovering trust and community.

Baseball: Then to Wow!, by the editors of Sports Illustrated Kids. Whether it’s looking at changes in equipment or comparing playing styles then and now, this high-interest book provides opportunities for fans to analyze different aspects of the game. Great layout, photographs and illustrations engage kids and help them see the progression of the game over the past 150 years.

Don't Throw It to Mo!, by David Adler. As the youngest and smallest kid on his team, Mo has to work extra hard. He gets teased by the opponents, but his coach has a plan to turn Mo's small size into a big advantage. A great short book for beginning readers.

Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery, by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Bryan Collier. Although his athletic skills brought Ernie Barnes success as a professional football player, his true passion was art. He would quickly sketch scenes as he sat on the bench between plays. Barnes pursued his dreams, eventually becoming the official artist for the American Football League.

The Field, by Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. "Vini! Come! The field calls!" cries a girl as she races to play soccer with her brother and friends. Basing this joyful story on his Caribbean childhood, Paul mingles Creole alongside English. Vibrant, dynamic illustrations capture the enthusiasm and infectious joy of the game, rain or shine.

Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon, by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Micha Archer. In 1966, Bobbi Gibb became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, even though the authorities would not recognize her efforts. Despite the authorities’ rejection, she decides to run alongside the registered racers, determined to prove that the rules were wrong. An inspiring picture book biography of defying the odds.

H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination, by Christopher Myer. Two kids start playing a game of H.O.R.S.E., matching each other's basketball shots and trash-talking all the way. The first to miss five is "giddy-up, you're out." I love the way these two friends keep one-upping each other, and the humor that Myers brings. on a city basketball court start a game of matching each other’s shots. Don't miss this!

Pedro's Big Goal, by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Tammie Lyon. First grader Pedro LOVES playing soccer with his friends and dreams of playing goalie. Will he make it as his team’s goalie, or is he too small? Beginning readers will enjoy this fun, accessible series -- perfect for 1st and 2nd graders.

If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2018 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, by Rita Williams-Garcia -- moving story of love, grief and finding your way (ages 9-12)

Clayton Byrd loves his grandpa Cool Papa Byrd mightily and fiercely. Blues music ties them together, and their love runs deep and true. When Cool Papa dies suddenly in his sleep, young Clayton must grapple with his loss and find his own way. Rita Williams-Garcia's new novel will touch readers deeply, as they connect with Clayton and journey with him.

This week, I'd like to celebrate Clayton Byrd Goes Underground in a few different ways. Today, I'll share my review. Later this week, I'll add videos that will help build Clayton's world for students, share a student's comments, and then finish with a musical playlist that ran through Rita Williams-Garcia's mind while she wrote Clayton Byrd's story.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
by Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad / HarperCollins, 2017
book trailer with Rita Williams-Garcia
Amazon / your local library
ages 9-12
*best new book*

Right from the first page, Rita Williams-Garcia weaves the power of blues through each fiber of her story, writing with the same "rhythm and slow-burning funk cooked into the blues" that she describes. She riffs on the lyrics of blues, but keeps it focused on young Clayton's story. This passage from the first chapter shows how she weaves in the feel of the blues, with repetition and patterns. But it also shows how she keeps the focus on developing Clayton's character and feelings.

"Instead of drowning out Clayton's plea with Wah-Wah Nita's full-bodied cry, Cool Papa answered back as only Cool Papa would. Cool. Clear. But sharp.
Not yet, Little Man, not yet.
Then louder. I SAID, Not yet, Little Man, not yet.
Softer--Not yet, Little Man, not yet.
Wait...
Even thought Cool Papa and Wah-Wah Nita had answered, that didn't stop Clayton Byrd from hoping, and waiting... His lungs and soul were ready to pour out his own story through the ten square holes of his blues harp. He just needed Cool Papa Byrd to wave him in for a solo." (pp. 3-4)

When Cool Papa suddenly dies in his sleep, Clayton must cope with his grief all alone. Clayton's mother is consumed with anger toward her father, still resentful that he left her as a young girl for months at a time to follow his music.  When his mother sells all of Papa Byrd's records and guitars, Clayton feels betrayed, angry beyond words and completely alone. And so he sets off in search of the Bluesmen -- going underground on the New York subway to find them in Washington Square Park where they played with Cool Papa.

Clayton runs straight into trouble when a pack of boys recruits him to help them make money, playing his blues harp as they danced and beatboxed on the subway. Their hip-hop beat is infectious, and will resonate with many young readers who love the vibrations, clicks and thumping of beatboxing.

This novel finds its groove as Clayton struggles with doing the right thing, stepping out on his own, but getting right into trouble. Many of my students who loved Jason Reynold's Ghost will find much to love here, with nuanced family relationships, well-paced plot and descriptive, dynamic writing.

The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, HarperCollins, and I have already purchased several more copies. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Expect Resistance: We Welcome All Immigrants (booklist for ages 5-10)

I find myself swimming in a sea of anger, concern and doubt--reading the news about Trump's abuse of executive privilege, banning refugees, Muslims and more from entering the country. I am heartened by the response from around the nation, and feel compelled to add my voice. My teens marched in the Women's Marches, and my daughter's sign sums up my feelings:

"RESPECT EXISTENCE
--or--
EXPECT RESISTANCE"

"Respect existence or expect resistance." I'm so proud of my daughter for demanding to be heard, focusing on the positive, staking her claim. Respect, reflect, resist. This is not the time to sit idly by.

Our actions as parents, teachers, and friends matter. I believe deep in my heart that books can change lives, that stories bring awareness and empathy, that feeling heard leads to wanting to listen. I am proud to work for a school district that protects all students' rights to attend public school, and has a board policy protecting undocumented students.

Here are some books I recommend sharing, that help readers understanding the experience of children who had to migrate for their safety and well-being. This is a mix of picture books and novels; some are better for younger children (ages 5-8) while others are suited for older children (ages 9-10).

• Drita, My Homegirl, by Jenny Lombard -- this short novel brings readers into the life of a young girl trying to make new friends after she flees from her war-torn home in Kosovo
• Enchanted Air, by Margarita Engle -- memoir told in verse, about a growing up with a family torn in two when the US broke relations with Cuba during the Cold War
• From North to South, by Rene Colato Lainez -- a moving picture book about a young boy's trip to visit his mother, after she is sent back to Mexico because she did not have the proper immigration papers
• Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate -- a spare, moving novel in verse about Kek, a young Somali refugee, as he tries to adjust to his new life in Minnesota
• The Journey, by Francesca Sanna -- a picture book that captures the current refugee crisis, as it shows a young child's escape from a war-torn home by boat, based on a compilation of immigrant interviews
• Mama's Nightingale, by Edwidge Danticat -- important, poignant picture book of a young girl's grief and coping when she is separated from her mother who has been taken to an immigration detention center
• Migrant: The Journey of a Mexican Worker, by Jose Manuel Mateo -- powerful picture book for older readers, telling the story of a boy who immigrates to the United States. One long illustration folds out, reminiscent of ancient Mexican codices.
• My Two Blankets, by Irene Kobald -- sweet picture book sharing the experience of a young girl immigrating to a new land, struggling to make sense of the language and make friends in a new place
• The Only Road, by Alexandra Diaz -- a middle grade novel, following two cousins who flee gang-infested Guatemala, crossing Mexico by foot, bus, and train before finally reaching the United States
• The Red Pencil, by Andrea Davis Pinkney -- a powerful novel in verse about a Sudanese girl who must flee her home when it is attacked during the Sudanese Civil War

Thank you for sharing and standing strong. We must use our voices to say that all are welcome. We will not stand for rules that discriminate immigration policies based on religion or race. We will not separate families. We will protect our students. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books