Sports books are usually an easy sell for most kids who like to read. basketball books for kids are no different. While we’ve dedicated middle grade sports books and a list of sports books, this list includes books about basketball for kids of all ages (from picture books to nonfiction books). if you have a child at the intersection of love for books and basketball, this list is for them.
Basketball Picture Books for Kids
Illustrated books are especially attractive because of the gorgeous images sprinkled throughout. Here are some basketball picture books for kids:
You are reading: Basketball books for kids
Above the Hoop: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
Published: October 6, 2020
Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor was one of the greatest basketball players of all time: a groundbreaking athlete, a team player, and a quiet force for change. one of the first professional black players, he inspired others on and off the court. but when he traveled to play away from home, many hotels and restaurants turned elgin away because he was black. One night, Elgin had enough and organized a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA.
b is for baller: the ultimate basketball alphabet
Published: October 2, 2018
Featuring dozens of iconic NBA superstars like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry, B is for Baller is the ultimate alphabet for young basketball fans, whether they’re playing your first shot at the abc or already perfecting your three! James LittleJohn’s words jump off the page and bring legends to life, while Matthew Shipley’s colorful and stylish illustrations are sure to delight fans young and old. What started as a successful kickstarter project by two passionate NBA fans is now the perfect read for little gamers everywhere.
my first basketball book
Published: October 9, 2018
My First Basketball Book, the sixth book in Sports Illustrated Kids’ best-selling beginner’s book series, teaches young children through the game of basketball with visual narration of a professional basketball game, from the jump until the game -winning basket! Dribbling, passing, tripping, shooting, dunks and more are explained through a fun mix of sports-illustrated action photography, simple text, a full glossary of terms, and stunning graphics. Illustrated “newbie” characters (a girl, Gabby, and a boy, Spad) appear on each page, providing fun facts and simple explanations to help kids better understand the game. Perfect for emerging readers preschool and up, My First Basketball Book is intended as a shared reading experience between parents and their little novices before, during, and after the game.
basketball break
Published: January 1, 2017
Lucas likes basketball, but he loves balls. Can Lucas learn to pass the ball? this starting line reader shows how to be a team player.
little basketball
Published: September 9, 2011
board books for little sports! now even the smallest of fans can enjoy a book about their favorite sport. Rhyming puzzles accompanied by colorful illustrations help introduce the simpler, more basic elements of the game. Brad Herzog lives on the Monterey Peninsula in California with his wife, Amy, and his two sons, Luke and Jesse. as a freelance writer, he has won several awards from the council for the advancement and support of education, including a grand gold medal for best magazine article of the year. Brad has published more than two dozen books, including two memoirs about his travels through small-town America. a graduate of columbus college of art & design in columbus, ohio, doug bowles has been a freelance illustrator for 20 years. In addition to Doug’s illustrations for children, he enjoys working with a wide range of clients in the advertising, corporate, and publishing communities. His work has been selected many times in the Society of Illustrators’ Western Competition, and has had several gallery shows. Doug lives in Leawood, Kansas, with his wife and his two children.
tune squad
Published: June 1, 2021
Basketball superstar lebron james joins bugs bunny and the looney tunes for space jam: a new legacy, the long-awaited reimagining of the beloved original film. Boys and girls ages 2 to 5 will love this all-new little gold book.
long shot: never too small to dream big
Published: September 22, 2009
everyone told chris he was too young to play basketball. but he ignored them all…because he had big dreams. and he loved the game.
lucy tries basketball
Published: September 4, 2019
lucy and her friends are on the playground when they see ava playing basketball with her cousin jermaine, a professional player. jermaine calls the kids in for a lesson on the fundamentals of the game and how to play three on three when the kids are done, jermaine invites them to watch him play a professional game. Lucy, Ava, and her friends cheer on Jermaine and her teammates, watching for the skills they learned on the playground at the real court.
dino-basketball
Published: November 1, 2013
When carnivorous meat meets herbivorous grass trimmers, the tires are sure to rattle! Allied oops and rejections are the order of the day as the dinos play a fast-paced full court game. no one can establish an advantage as the last few seconds tick by. the fans are getting tense and a championship is on the line. which dinosaur will step forward and take him to the hoop?
basketball chapter books for kids
Chapter books are important for young readers to become familiar with longer texts. here are some basketball chapter books for kids:
power forward
Published: May 8, 2018
4th grader zayd saleem has some serious hoop dreams. he’s not just going to be a professional basketball player. he is going to be a star. a legend. The first Pakistani-American boy to make it to the NBA. he knows this deep down in his soul. it is his destiny. there are just a few little things in the way of it.
for starters, zayd is only on team d. (d stands for development, but to zayd it always feels like a bad grade or something). Not to mention, he’s a bit skinny, even for the fourth grade team. But his best friend, Adam, is on the gold team, and Zayd’s dream is for the two of them to play together.
His mom and dad don’t get it. they want him to practice his violin much more than his jump shot. When he is caught skipping his violin lessons to practice, Zayd’s parents impose the final punishment: he has to hang up his high-tops and is no longer allowed to play basketball.
As the gold team tryouts draw closer, Zayd has to find the courage to stand up for himself and pursue his dream.
home court
Published: August 1, 2012
a new york knicks captain and six-time nba star describes the events from his childhood that inspired his athletic career, describing how he used his basketball skills to defend his friends from a group of bullies and how he overcame difficult obstacles to achieve your career ambitions. simultaneous.
ellray jakes stands tall
Published: April 12, 2016
There’s a new game in town: basketball! or in ellray’s case, pre-basketball. Coach Havens has all the third graders dribbling, passing, and shooting, and it doesn’t take long to compliment Ellray’s skills. however, no one else seems to notice and as “the shortest kid in the class”, ellray is still the last one picked for the teams at recess. what does a short guy have to do to get noticed? when ellray comes up with a plan that includes the off-limits staff room, everyone is shocked!
hoop queen (kylie jean)
Published: March 1, 2014
kylie jean is usually good at everything she does. now she is trying basketball. dribble, pass and shoot. that sounds simple enough. So how come learning to play basketball is so hard?
high school basketball books
this is my sweet spot and a lot of these high school basketball books are my favorites :
lucy wu’s great wall
Published: January 1, 2011
lucy wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is about to have the best year of her life. she is ready to rule the school as a sixth grader and take over the dorm she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, however, her plans are shattered when she discovers that Yi Po, the sister of her beloved grandmother, is coming to visit for several months, staying in Lucy’s room. Lucy’s vision of a perfect year begins to unravel, and in her place comes an unwelcome roommate, thwarted birthday plans, and a Chinese school with a terrible talent switch.
big fish
Published: October 26, 2021
After a disastrous school field day competition, Greg decides that as far as his athletic career goes, he’s officially retired. But after his mother urges him to give sports one more try, he reluctantly agrees to sign up for basketball.
The tests are a mess and Greg is sure he won’t make the cut. but he unexpectedly gets a spot on the worst team.
As Greg and his new teammates kick off the season, their chances of winning even a single game look slim. But in sports anything can happen. When everything is on the line and the ball is in Greg’s hands, will he rise to the occasion? or is he going to blow the big fish out of him?
taking up space
Published: May 18, 2021
Sarah loves basketball more than anything. crushing him on the court makes her feel like she matters. and she’s the only thing that helps her ignore how much it hurts when her mom forgets to feed her. but lately she sarah can’t even play basketball well. she is now slower and misses shots that she should be able to do. her body no longer feels like his. She worries that going back to the way she used to be is the only way she can control what is happening.
When sarah’s crush asks her to enter a cooking contest, she finds herself pulled in a million directions. She will have to work very hard to stand up for what she needs at home, be honest with her best friends, and accept that she doesn’t need to change to feel good about herself.
related: alyson gerber on taking up space
truly tyler
Published: May 4, 2021
cliques. smash comics. secondary.
ever since tyler started getting into art and dating emmie, his friends and teammates have given him a hard time. wonders why he can’t be a nerd by drawing and playing ball?
emmie is excited to be working on a comic book project with her crush, tyler. but she has a feeling that her friends don’t think she’s cool enough. maybe it’s time for a total reinvention. . . .
pippa park raises her game
Published: February 4, 2020
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Life is full of high expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems that everyone, from his family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how his life should be.
When Pippa lands a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she seizes the opportunity to reinvent herself. At school, Pippa juggles old and new friends, a crush, and the pressure of getting a job and earning points while she keeps her and the family’s laundry past a secret from her new elite classmates.
But when Pippa begins receiving a series of anonymous hateful messages on social media, her carefully constructed personality is threatened. As things spiral out of control, Pippa wonders if she can keep her old life and her new life separate, or if she should try.
my life as a potato
Published: March 24, 2020
ben hardy thinks he’s cursed by potatoes. And now he’s moved to idaho, where the school mascot is steve the spud! yeah, this can’t be good.
After accidentally causing the pet to sprain his ankle, Ben is sentenced to work the last basketball games of the year. but if the other kids know he’s the potato, his plans for popularity are likely to be a big flop! Ben doesn’t want to let the team down, so he lies to his friends to keep it a secret. no one will know it’s him under the potato suit. . . right?
stanford wong fails big
Published: October 1, 2005
stanford wong is having a rough summer. if she fails her summer school English class, she will fail sixth grade. if that happens, she won’t start on team a. If *that* happens, his friends will leave him and Emily Ebers won’t like him anymore. and if that happens, her life will be over. Then his parents are fighting, his yin-yin grandma hates his new nursing home, he’s being “tutored” by the world’s biggest nerdball, millicent min, and he’s not sure his “emily” pen tattoo will work. go delete.
recover
Published: November 16, 2021
lilico’s life in japan is going well. she has great friends and is the captain of the school basketball team. she is happy!
Then comes the news of his parents: they are moving to the United States! Before she knows it, Lilico finds herself in Brooklyn, New York, forced to start over. And that won’t be easy with her closest friends thousands of miles away or a school bully who immediately takes a dislike to her.
Fortunately, anime lovers Nala and Henry eventually befriend Lilico, and with their help, along with her guardian spirit, who looks a lot like her cat, Nicco, Lilico might find out where she fits in.
/p>
zayd saleem, chasing the dream
Published: August 25, 2020
zayd saleem has serious basketball dreams. he is going to be a basketball star. a legend. there are just a few little things in the way of it.
for starters, zayd is a bit skinny and his stomach hurts when he’s nervous. he has to convince his coach that he has what it takes to join his best friend adam his on the elite gold team. his mom and dad want him to practice his violin much more than his jump shot. Plus, it doesn’t help that his older sister, Zara, is amazing at all the sports he plays.
but zayd also has a lot going for him. His grandmother is willing to give her all the mango smoothies she wants. Her grandfather has a few tricks up his sleeve for her velvet tracksuit. and her favorite dude makes zayd laugh, even if sometimes he’s so loud he needs to pee. Zayd’s family, along with his friends, teammates and his own determination, means he has everything he needs to pursue his dream. Will he reach it?
bounce
Published: April 2, 2018
before josh and jordan bell were running up and down the court, their dad was learning his own moves. Chuck Bell takes center stage as readers take a look back at his childhood and how he became the basketball star who loved jazz music and was admired by his children.
fifth quarter
Published: May 25, 2021
lori block is dedicated to her fourth grade basketball team, despite being relegated to an extra period before the real game begins, known as the fifth quarter, where the not so good kids play and the points don’t count. That doesn’t matter to Lori though, because working on her skills gives her hints of self-confidence, which is a nice break from feeling awkward and out of place in her daily life.
With athletic promise and a dogged determination to keep getting better, Lori pursues her passion while navigating awkward social dynamics, her own expectations, and her first night away from home. Will his drive for her allow him to find true courage both on the court, at school, and at home?
boys
Published: August 27, 2019
deontae “simp” wright has big plans for his future. Plans that include basketball, her best friend Rollie, and earning enough money to get her mom and four younger siblings out of Cove, her low-income housing project.
in the long run, this means the nba. In the short term, it means being a dough boy: getting paid to play vigilante, and eventually working your way up the ranks of the neighborhood drug operation with rollie as your partner.
roland “rollie” matthews loved to play basketball. he loved the rhythm of the game, how he would get his best drum beats after running from one side of the court to the other. But playing for the elite team comes with extra and illegal responsibilities, and Rollie isn’t sure he’s up for that life. The new gifted and talent show, in which Rollie gets the chance to audition for a real-life go-go band, seems like the perfect excuse to stop being a dough boy. but how can he abandon his best friend?
related: an interview with paula chase, author of dough boys
nikki on the line
Published: March 5, 2019
Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle’s dreams of becoming a great basketball player feel within reach when she’s selected to play for an elite club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, faster girls, Nikki is suddenly not the best point guard. in fact, she’s no longer a base, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.
Stress mounts when Nikki’s best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns her a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals her most embarrassing secret. . As if that wasn’t enough, to cover the costs of her new outfit, Nikki agreed to babysit her annoying little brother after school to save money on childcare.
As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki’s confidence plummets. Will he be able to learn to compete at this new higher level? and how hard is she willing to work to find out?
planet middle school
Published: September 13, 2011
for twelve years, joylin johnson’s life has been going well. A basketball game with the boys, especially his friend Jake, was all it took to put a smile on his face. baggy jeans, t-shirt, and hair pulled back in a ponytail were all easy choices. then, everything suddenly seemed to change at once. her best friend is now flirting with her best friend. her clothes seem to be wrong. Jake is acting weird and basketball is not the same. And worst of all, there’s this guy, Santiago, who shows up from . . . where? How far will Joy go, and who will she become, to attract his attention?
the crossing
Published: March 18, 2014
“with lightning in my kicks . . .the pitch is sizzling. my sweat is drizzling. Leave all that shudder. because tonight I’m going to give birth”, announces josh bell, a 12-year-old boy with dreadlocks. he and his twin brother jordan are amazing on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he also has crazy beats that tell the story of his family in verse, in this fast and furious mid-grade novel about the family and brotherhood of Kwame Alexander.
josh and jordan must face growing up on and off the court to realize that breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as the breakneck climax of their story turns out to be a game changer for the whole family.
kate in the middle
Published: May 18, 2021
kate mcallister is desperate for a change. something to update and erase the pain of her mother leaving the city without her. So when a group of popular girls includes Kate in her clique, she feels like the answer to all of her problems, even if it means getting rid of Haddie, her childhood best friend. /p>
but when kate’s new friends decide haddie is their next target, kate becomes a passive participant in a vicious incident that could have killed haddie… if kate hadn’t intervened, at the last minute, and I would have saved her. The next day, a cell phone video of the rescue goes viral and Kate is hailed as a hero. but kate knows the truth, she was part of the problem, and it’s only a matter of time until the full version of the video is released and everyone knows it too.
With so much at stake, Kate must decide who she wants to be: a liar, a follower, or someone bigger.
related: claire swinarski on kate in between
we are family
Published: August 31, 2021
jayden carr has been training all summer to get ready for hoop group, the free after-school basketball program where his hero, nba superstar kendrick king, started. But when his beloved coach tells him there won’t be a basketball group this year, Jayden’s heart breaks.
and he is not the only one. Coach Beck’s daughter, Tamika, planned to be the first girl to start for the team. Chris King, Kendrick’s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle would come over just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, the Hoop group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, who is 4’6″ from him, the hoops pool was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.
For each child, hoop group was more than just an opportunity to play; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem almost impossible, but the world hasn’t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony and Dex before. Determined to get their chance, the five new friends fight, grapple and play hard to save their season and prove that sometimes one chance is all it takes.
come short
Published: March 15, 2022
isaac and marco already know that sixth grade is going to change their lives. but it won’t change things at home, not without the help of others.
This year, basketball star Isaac plans to finally keep up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely keep Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-a Marco vows to finally earn her father’s approval by earning a spot on the school basketball team.
But will friendship and mutual support be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
and books on basketball
Because basketball books tend to be fast-paced and engaging, even when dealing with common teenage problems:
dragon earrings
Published: March 17, 2020
gen understands stories, particularly comic stories. big action bigger emotions. and the hero always wins.
but gene doesn’t like sports. when he was a child, his friends called him “stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. he lost interest in basketball a long time ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, he’s all you can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, are having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each win brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships.
Once Gene meets these young stars, he realizes that their story is as exciting as anything he’s ever seen on the page of a comic. she knows that she has to follow this epic to the end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the lives of the dragons, but also his own.
only
Published: April 27, 2021
In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in an exhibition basketball tournament. he has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on a plane. the opportunity to be discovered by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true.
samuel is an incredible athlete, with speed, quickness and an amazing vertical jump. the rest of his game, however, needs work, and American coaches are less than impressed.
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During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: a civil war is raging in southern Sudan and rebel troops have sacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp.
samuel desperately wants to go home, but he can’t. Partly out of sympathy, the North Carolina center’s coach offers him a scholarship. Samuel moves to Durham, enrolls in classes, joins the team, and prepares for his freshman year. there’s a lot of more mature talent out there and it’s not needed right away.
but samuel has something that no other player has: a fierce determination to succeed so he can bring his family to the united states. he works tirelessly on his game, shooting baskets every morning at dawn alone in the gym, and soon he’s dominating everyone in practice. With the core team losing and suffering injury after injury, Sooley, as he is nicknamed, is called up from the bench. and the legend begins.
But how far can Sooley take his team? and will success allow him to save the family from her?
heat
Published: March 1, 2007
Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws a lot of pressure along with aspirations of leading his team to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his everyday life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s flight from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-year-old brother Carlos. If the social services find out about their situation, they will be separated in the reception system or, worse yet, sent back to Cuba. together, the guys go on their own, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old can throw as hard as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no father to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is thrown wide open and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources. /p>
travel team
Published: August 18, 2005
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court, but don’t tell him. because no one plays with more heart or more court sense. But none of that matters when he’s cut from his local road team, the same team his dad took to national prominence when he was a kid. Danny’s dad, still smarting from his own problems, knows that Danny isn’t the only kid who got cut for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a group of kids who never give up prove that the heart it just can’t be measured.
waiting for spring
Published: July 10, 2018
one by one mitsuki has been working so hard to prepare for the school festival that he passes out from exhaustion. when she wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar bed… it turns out to be aya who has come to rescue her from her, like she always used to. Meanwhile, Towa realizes something important on her account: she decides to confess her feelings to Mitsuki, and the day of the school festival may be her best chance!
all the things we never knew
Published: June 9, 2020
From the moment Carli and Rex first laid eyes on each other on a Texas high school basketball court, they both knew it was destiny. but can you really love another person if you don’t love yourself? The luminous second novel from acclaimed author Liara Tamani explores love, family, heartbreak, betrayal, and the power of healing, in gorgeous prose that will appeal to readers of Nicola Yoon and Jacqueline Woodson. that kind of connection, the immediate and raw understanding of another person, just doesn’t come along very often. And as rising stars on their respective Texas high school basketball teams, destined for bright futures in college and beyond, it seems like a perfect match. but carli and rex have secrets. just like their families.
here to stay
Published: September 18, 2018
What happens when a kid who has been under the radar for most of high school is pulled off the bench to make the winning shot in a varsity playoff game? exclusive party invitations, along with an anonymous photo sent by a school cyberbully that makes Bijan look like a terrorist.
management says they will find and punish the culprit. bijan wants to pretend it never happened. unashamed of his Middle Eastern heritage; he just doesn’t want to be a poster child for Islamophobia. many classmates gather around bijan. others make it clear that they don’t want him or anyone who looks like him at his school. But it’s not always easy to tell your enemies from your friends.
after the shot lands
Published: March 6, 2018
Bunny and Nasir have been best friends forever, but when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship in town, Nasir feels betrayed. While Bunny tries to fit in with his new privileged peers, Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir can’t help but wonder why the neighborhood is so desperate to help Bunny when Wallace is in trouble.
When Wallace makes a bet against Bunny, Nasir is faced with an impossible, perhaps dangerous decision.
clumsy
Published: February 20, 2018
for adam reed, basketball is a passport. Adam’s basketball skills have taken him from an orphanage in Poland to a loving foster mother in Minnesota. When he’s selected to play on a select AAU team alongside some of the best players in the state, he simply confirms that basketball is his ticket to the good life: to new friends, to the girl of his dreams, to a future. better.
But life is more complicated off the pitch. When an incident with the police threatens to sever the bonds Adam has finally formed after a lifetime of fighting, he must make an impossible choice between his new family and the sport that has given him everything.
justin (asphalt, #1)
Published: June 7, 2016
Justin has a list of goals hidden under his mattress. number 1 is “find out life plans”. number 5 is “earn zen master qualification in wow”. Nowhere on that list is “playing with the ghosttown team,” but that’s the kind of problem he always seems to find.
last shot: a mysterious final four
Published: December 24, 2008
When stevie wins a writing contest for aspiring sportswriters, his prize is a press pass for the final four in new orleans. As she explores the superdome, she overhears a plot to launch the championship game. With the help of fellow contest winner Susan Carol, Stevie has only 48 hours to find out who is blackmailing one of the star players. . . and because. John Feinstein has been hailed as “the best sports book writer in America today” (The Boston Globe), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel.
basketball non-fiction books
Kids love nonfiction more than I expected! if you’ve got a basketball nerd, these non-fiction basketball books will appeal to them.
swish!: harlem globetrotters who fly high, jump through the alleys and fly high
Published: November 10, 2020
In this book you’ll find one-finger ball spins, quick mini-dribbles, and a bouncing headshot! you’ll find skillful athletes, expert gamers, and electrifying performers all in one! You’ll find yourself nonstop, giving it your all, trying to win it, the sky’s the limit in basketball!
who is michael jordan?
Published: February 5, 2019
Meet the man who changed the game forever. Michael Jordan has always been competitive, even when he was a child he struggled for attention. His need to be his best made him a star player on his college basketball team and helped him become an NBA legend, both because of his skills and his endorsements. His contract with Nike for the Air Jordan basketball shoes set a precedent like no other for professional athletes. Author Kirsten Anderson takes readers through each exciting moment, detailing the iconic reverse layups and jump shots from Michael Jordan’s storied career.
become a kareem: grow on and off the court
Published: November 21, 2017
At one point, Lew Alcindor was just another New York City kid with all the usual problems: struggling to fit in, pleasing a strict father, and overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with basketball talent and an unrivaled team of supporters, Lew Alcindor was able to transform himself into Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
who was kobe bryant?
Published: September 1, 2020
kobe bryant was just an eighteen-year-old high school basketball player when he decided to enter the national basketball association draft. Although he was the 13th overall pick for the Charlotte Hornets, he would never play a single game for them. Instead, Kobe was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would spend his entire twenty-season career, winning five championships and numerous awards. Author Ellen LaBreque takes readers through every exciting moment, from his iconic dunks to his 81-point game, all the milestones that span Kobe Bryant’s legendary career and legacy.
legends: the best basketball players, games and teams
Published: December 20, 2016
Fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping and brimming with out-of-this-world athleticism, basketball has won the hearts of fans across America, but it’s particularly popular with kids and teens. Giants of the game like Steph Curry, LeBron and Michael Jordan have transcended the sport to become cultural icons and role models for young fans. From the cornfields of Indiana and the foothills of North Carolina, to the urban sprawl of New York City, Chicago and L.A., the love of the game stretches from coast to coast.
With top 10 lists to chew on and debate, and a top 40-style timeline of key moments in baseball history, this comprehensive collection includes the greatest dynasties, from the Celtics to the era of bill russell to the lakers led by magic jonson. , to the bulls led by jordan, to the spurs led by tim duncan. All the greats take flight to the hoop in this perfect book for young fans who dream of stepping foot on an NBA court.
stephen curry: the boy who never gave up
Published: August 17, 2016
The Kid Who Never Quit is the inspiring true story of NBA superstar Stephen Curry. This fully illustrated illustrated biography tells the story of a boy 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. Against all odds, this little boy Following his dream, he not only makes it to the NBA, but becomes one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.
walk out in his shoes: michael jordan in search of a dream
Published: November 1, 2000
Michael Jordan’s mother and sister team up to create this moving and inspiring picture book about faith and hope, and how a family working together can help a child realize their dreams.
michael jordan.
The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played in its prime. But when he was a kid, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he’d never grow up to play the game that would one day make him famous.
That’s when his mother and father stepped in and shared the priceless lesson of what building a champion really entails: patience, determination, and hard work.
my chance: balance it all and stand tall
Published: March 13, 2018
elena delle donne has always forged her own path. During her freshman year of college, she walked away from a scholarship and the chance to play for Geno Aurriema at Uconn, the most prestigious women’s college basketball program, so she could stay in her home state of Delaware and be close to her older sister, lizzie , who has multiple disabilities and can only communicate through hand-over-hand signs.
Exhausted and questioning her passion for basketball, she attended the University of Delaware and took up volleyball for a year. she eventually found her way back to her first love, playing basketball for the blue hens, and eventually took them, a mid-high team, to the sweet sixteen. she became the 2nd overall pick during the 2013 wnba draft and the 2015 wnba mvp.
elena delle donne delivers a powerful and inspiring story of overcoming the challenges of competitive sports through balancing hard work and the support of a loving family.
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