Sport Stories for Young Adults

 

Catherine Gilbert Murdock - Dairy Queen
A funny, tender and thoughtful story of 15-year-old D.J., the younger sister of two football stars, who has undertaken the responsibility of the family dairy farm over the course of the summer. D.J. decides to try the unexpected: try out for football. Great football action scenes, and of course a little love interest as well. Follow up with the sequel in The Off Season.

Alan Gratz - Samurai Shortstop
Modern baseball and ancient samurai arts commingle in this coming-of-age story set in 19th century Japan. Toyo finds himself at a boarding school and dealing with some harsh hazing and recovering from the ritual death of his uncle. Atypical in many ways, this unique story ends in typical sports book fashion: the big game.

Matt de la Peña - Ball Don't Lie
With some intense basketball scenes, lingo and action, this story follows Sticky, a 17 year old foster kid with a violent past home life who has found a home of sorts at the tough Lincoln Rec gym in LA. Despite trouble in school, and with the law, Sticky has some serious game and dreams of a scholarship.


Walter Dean Myers - Game
This book by veteran author, Myers, is an introspective portrait of a driven young African-American boy in Harlem who is focused on making it big in the NBA. Lengthy basketball scenes ring true but this story is also a complete look at sports, salvation, family, school and life.

John Feinstein - Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery
This action packed mystery is set at the NCAA Final Four men’s basketball tournament. Aspiring 8th grade journalists are sent to cover the tournament when they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed to throw the game. Real players and coaches co-mingle with fictitious characters and this book includes lots of information about the tournament, NCAA and basketball lore.

Mike Lupica - Heat
A 12-year-old pitching prodigy from the Bronx has his age challenged under Little League rules by a rival coach. Believable characters and some great action scenes support this story of a Cuban-American family and a love of baseball.

Dawn Fitzgerald - Soccer Chick Rules
13 year old Tess Munro is a soccer player at heart. With the threat of a school levy failing, and with it, athletics, Tess gets involved immediately. School politics and sports scenes intermingle with the usual relationship and friendship stories.

Catalog View