Recommended Sports Books
Cathy Belben, Librarian, Burlington-Edison High School
Updated November 2003
Check the online catalogue for availability and location.
FICTION
Bennett, James. Blue Star Rapture. (BASKETBALL)
While attending a high-profile basketball camp, T.J. begins to re-think both his motivations and his actions in guiding his learning-disabled but athletically-gifted friend through the college recruitment process.
Bennett, James. Plunking Reggie Jackson. (BASEBALL)
In his senior year, Coley Burke is on top of it all, a baseball star courted by the major league scouts for his pitching arm, with his choice of college scholarships and pretty girls. He chooses red-haired Bree, who has a reputation for being hot. Bree retreats angrily whenever Coley asks questions about her family. Coley has family troubles of his own, a father who criticizes every detail of Coley's pitching and constantly holds up the example of his older brother, Patrick, now four year dead. Coley is flunking English, he's injured his ankle and can't play, and when Bree tells him she's pregnant, he sees his career in the big leagues swirling down the drain.
Bennett, James. The Squared Circle. (BASKETBALL)
Sonny, a university freshman and star basketball player, finds that the pressures of college life, NCAA competition, and an unsettling relationship with his feminist cousin bring up painful memories that he must face before he can decide what is important in his life.
Bloor, Edward. Tangerine (SOCCER)
Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
Bowler, Tim. River Boy. (SWIMMING)
Jess returns to England with her family, where her grandfather falls ill while finishing a painting he considers his masterpiece. Jess, a swimmer, sees a mysterious boy in the river where she regularly swims, and he seems to be leading her somewhere or trying to tell her something that she believes is related to her grandfather's painting.
Brooks, Bruce. The Moves Make the Man. (BASKETBALL)
A black boy and an emotionally troubled white boy in North Carolina form a precarious friendship.
Coleman, Evelyn. Born in Sin. (SWIMMING)
Despite serious obstacles and setbacks, fourteen-year-old Keisha pursues her dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer and medical doctor.
Connelly, Neil. St. Michael’s Scales. (WRESTLING)
Keegan Flannery, fleeing responsibility for his twin brother's death and his mother's mental illness, believes he must atone by committing suicide before his sixteenth birthday, but he gains new insight when he joins his school's wrestling team.
Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One. (BOXING)
Story of Peekay, an English boy, living in South Africa during World War II whose dream is to become a winner.
Crutcher, Chris. Athletic Shorts. (ALL SPORTS/WRESTLING)
A collection of short stories featuring characters from earlier books by Chris Crutcher.
Crutcher, Chris. The Crazy Horse Electric Game. (BASEBALL)
A high school athlete, frustrated at being handicapped after an accident, runs away from home and is helped back to mental and physical health by a black benefactor and the people in a special school where he enrolls.
Crutcher, Chris. Chinese Handcuffs. (ALL SPORTS)
Still troubled by his older brother's violent suicide, eighteen-year-old Dillon becomes deeply involved in the terrible secret of his friend Jennifer, who feels she can tell no one what her stepfather is doing to her.
Crutcher, Chris. Ironman. (TRIATHLON)
While training for a triathlon, seventeen-year-old Bo attends an anger management group at school which leads him to examine his relationship with his father.
Crutcher, Chris. Running Loose. (FOOTBALL)
Louie, a high school senior in a small Idaho town, learns about sportsmanship, love, and death as he matures, and finds himself challenged by an unethical football coach.
Crutcher, Chris. Stotan. (SWIMMING)
A high school coach invites members of his swimming team to a memorable week of rigorous training that tests their moral fiber as well as their physical stamina.
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. (SWIMMING and BASKETBALL)
Intellectually and athletically gifted, T. J.. a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students.
Davis, Terry. If Rock and Roll Were a Machine. (MOTORCYCLING)
The guidance of two adults and his interest in motorcycles and writing help high school junior Bert Bowden regain the sense of self that had been destroyed by his fifth-grade teacher.
Davis, Terry. Vision Quest. (WRESTLING)
Eighteen-year-old Louden Swain pursues many interests as he strives to achieve maturity. During his senior year, he drops a weight division so that he can wrestle against a cross-town legend and gets involved in a relationship with an older woman.
Deuker, Carl. Heart of a Champion. (BASEBALL)
Seth faces a strain on his friendship with Jimmy, who is both a baseball champion and something of an irresponsible fool, when Jimmy is kicked off the team.
Deuker, Carl. High Heat. (BASEBALL)
When sophomore Shane Hunter's father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher's life of affluence and private school begins to fall apart.
Deuker, Carl. Night Hoops. (BASKETBALL)
While try to prove that he is good enough to play on his high school's varsity basketball team, Nick must also deal with his parents' divorce and erratic behavior of a troubled classmate who lives across the street.
Deuker, Carl. On the Devil’s Court. (BASKETBALL)
Struggling with his feelings of inadequacy and his failure to make the basketball team in his new school, seventeen-year-old Joe Faust finds himself willing to trade his soul for one perfect season of basketball.
Deuker, Carl. Painting the Black. (BASEBALL)
When star athlete Josh Daniels moves in across the street, Remy Ward doesn't realize how much his life will change during his senior year at Seattle's Crown Hill High.
Draper, Sharon. Tears of a Tiger. (BASKETBALL)
The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.
Duncan, David James. The Brothers K. (BASEBALL)
Story of the Chance family living in the Pacific Northwest in the early '60s embattled over the ideals represented by baseball and religion. The family is thrown into turmoil by the Vietnam War and when their father's baseball career is disrupted by a mill accident.
Dygard, Thomas J. Forward Pass. (FOOTBALL)
To improve his struggling football team's chances of winning, Coach Gardner brings in a new wide receiver, Jill Winston.
Dygard, Thomas J. Halfback Tough. (FOOTBALL)
New at Graham High, Joe joins the football team and begins to change his tough guy outlook as he becomes absorbed by the game and gains self-esteem and new friends.
Dygard, Thomas J. Outside Shooter. (BASKETBALL)
A high school basketball star's personality problems threaten not only his own career but the success of the whole team.
Dygard, Thomas J. Quarterback Walk-on. (FOOTBALL)
When the fourth-string quarterback for a Texas college team suddenly finds himself next Saturday's starter, he has a plan for winnin
Dygard, Thomas J. Running Wild. (FOOTBALL)
When Coach Wilson and Officer Stowell encourage him to join the high school football team, Pete no longer believes that "nobody does anything for nothing."
Dygard, Thomas J. Soccer Duel. (SOCCER)
A former football star finds he must share the spotlight with other players when he decides to play soccer.
Dygard, Thomas J. Tournament Upstart. (BASKETBALL)
Under the leadership of their new young coach, a Class B high school basketball team from the Ozark foothills challenges big-city schools for the state championship.
Dygard, Thomas J. Wilderness Peril. (HIKING)
Two teenage boys camping in the Minnesota woods encounter a desperate airplane hijacker attempting to escape with three-quarters of a million dollars.
Fowler, Karen Joy. The Sweetheart Season. (BASEBALL)
World War II has been over for two years, but the boys do not seem too eager to come marching home to Magrit, Minnesota, so a local breakfast cereal manufacturer decides to form the town's young women into a baseball team, to promote business and maybe snag some husbands while on the road.
Friedman, Mark. Columbus Slaughters Braves. (BASEBALL)
A heart-breaking story of two brothers whose lives lead to vastly different fates. Joe Columbus is an ordinary man, but his brother is anything but ordinary. Joe wants to love his brother, but CJ's talents and great fortune produce a rift between them that is healed only by tragedy. This novel is for anyone who has had a hero or wanted to be one.
Fromm, Pete. How All This Started. (BASEBALL)
Abilene and Austin, brother and sister, live with their parents in a stark, desolate portion of Texas, where Abilene hopes to escape the monotony and boredom by making her brother into a star baseball pitcher. Her enthusiasm, however, soon takes on a darker cast and she drives the two of them to the edge of sanity.
Gault, William Campbell. Superbowl Bound. (FOOTBALL)
A talented young quarterback is caught between a father who opposes football for a very personal reason and an enthusiastic grandfather who thrives on it.
Grisham, John. Bleachers. (FOOTBALL)
When his old coach dies, high school football star Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown after fifteen years, reunites with his former teammates, and struggles to resolve his mixed feelings about the man.
Harris, Mark. Bang the Drum Slowly. (BASEBALL).
Story of baseball player Henry Wiggen throwing a baseball for the sake of his pocket, his family, his teammates, and dying friend.
Jackson, Jeremy. Life at these Speeds. (RUNNING)
Kevin Schuler's track teammates are killed when their van crashes off a bridge after a meet. Following the incident, Kevin can remember nothing about the event, including the names of his teammates and the connections he had with them before they were killed. When he enters high school, he is persuaded to turn out for cross country and track, and although he insists he isn't interested in either sport, he immediately begins making incredible progress in both, setting running records for sprinting and distance events. As he does so, he also begins to regain some of his memories of the past.
Jenkins, A.M. Damage. (FOOTBALL)
Seventeen-year-old football hero Austin, trying to understand the inexplicable depression that has drained his interest in life, thinks he has found relief in a girl who seems very special.
Johnson, Scott. Safe at Second. (BASEBALL)
Paulie Lockwood's best friend Todd Bannister is destined for the major leagues until a line drive to the head causes him to lose an eye and they both must find a new future for themselves.
King, Steven. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. (BASEBALL)
Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland, lost in the woods after she wanders off to escape the bickering between her mom and her brother, boosts her courage by imagining that her hero, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tom Gordon, is with her, helping her survive an unknown enemy.
Kinsella, W.P. Shoeless Joe. (BASEBALL)
An Iowa insurance agent turned farmer builds a baseball stadium in his cornfield hoping his hero, Shoeless Joe will play in it.
Klass, David. Breakaway Run. (SOCCER)
Seventeen-year-old Tony, a soccer player whose parents are divorcing, goes to Atami, Japan, to spend four-and-a-half months with a Japanese family.
Klass, David. Danger Zone. (BASKETBALL)
When he joins a predominantly black "Teen Dream Team" that will be representing the United States in an international basketball tournament in Rome, Jimmy Doyle makes some unexpected discoveries about prejudice, racism, and politics.
Klass, David. Home of the Braves. (SOCCER)
Eighteen-year-old Joe,captain of the soccer team, is dismayed when a hotshot player shows up from Brazil and threatens to take over both the team and the girl whom Joe hopes to date.
Klass, David. Wrestling with Honor. (WRESTLING)
Champion high school wrestler Ron Woods faces a soul-searching season when he refuses to retake a mandatory drug test he has failed. This decision affects every area of his life, including his feelings about his father, who died in Vietnam, and his first tentative romance.
Kluger, Steve. Last Days of Summer. (BASEBALL)
Joey Margolis writes letters to baseball players, President Roosevelt, his best friend Craig, and others during World War II.
Knudson, R.R. Zanballer. (FOOTBALL)
Zan Hagan, whose principal opposes her un-feminine activities, leads her dance class onto the athletic field to form a girls' football team.
Koertge, Ron. Shakespeare Bats Clean-Up. (BASEBALL)
When a fourteen-year-old baseball player catches mononucleosis, he discovers that keeping a journal and experimenting with poetry not only helps fill the time, it also helps him deal with life, love, and loss.
Landvik, Lorna. Your Oasis on Flame Lake. (HOCKEY)
The lives of a middle-aged couple are thrown into turmoil after their teenage daughter experiences violence at the hands of members of the hockey team on which is the only girl athlete.
Lewis, Catherine. Postcards to Father Abraham. (RUNNING)
Meghan deals with a series of tragedies in her life in the course of only two years: her mother is killed in an accident, her brother is sent to Vietnam and returns a much different person, she is kicked out of school, and she gets cancer in her leg and must have it amputated. Despite these difficulties, Meghan maintains a sense of humor and is able to bounce back from her hardships by writing letters to her idol, Abraham Lincoln, and by maintaining friendships with her nurses.
Lipman, Elinor. The Dearly Departed. (GOLF)
High school golf prodigy Sunny must return to her hometown when her mother dies in an accident and must face the half-brother she never knew she had as well as the captain of the golf team she played on in high school—a man she hates for the torment he gave her when they competed together.
Lynch, Chris. Shadow Boxer. (BOXING)
After their father dies of boxing injuries, George is determined to prevent his younger brother, who sees boxing as his legacy, from pursuing a career in the sport.
Lynch, Chris. Slot Machine. (VARIOUS SPORTS)
When overweight thirteen-year-old Elvin Bishop is sent to camp at St. Paul's Seminary Retreat Center, he and his two best friends are forced to try out various sports in order to find out where they belong.
Murphy, Claire. Free Radical. (BASEBALL)
In Fairbanks, Alaska, in the midle of the summer Little League baseball season, fifteen-year-old Luke is stunned when his mother confesses that she is wanted by the FBI for her role in the death of a student during an anti-Vietnam War protest thirty years ago.
Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops. (BASKETBALL)
A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.
Myers, Walter Dean. The Outsider Shot. (BASKETBALL)
Recruited by a small midwestern college to play basketball, a Harlem boy has many new experiences, including working with a child who needs physical therapy and dealing with corruption in college sports.
Myers, Walter Dean. Slam! (BASKETBALL)
Sixteen-year-old "Slam" Harris is counting on his noteworthy basketball talents to get him out of the inner city and give him a chance to succeed in life, but his coach sees things differently.
Patterson, James. Miracle on the 17th Green. (GOLF)
Fifty-year-old Travis McKinley, discontented with his job, wife, children, and accomplishments, suddenly begins playing golf like a pro and is invited to compete in the PGA Senior Open at Pebble Beach where he, his family, and a live television audience witness a miracle.
Powell, Randy. Dean Duffy. (BASEBALL)
18-year-old Dean, a former high school baseball star whose future has been ruined by a batting slump and a bad arm, is offered a college baseball scholarship and finds himself uncertain of whether to take it.
Powell, Randy. Three Clams and an Oyster. (FOOTBALL)
During their humorous search to find a fourth player for their flag football team, three high school juniors are forced to examine their long friendship, their individual flaws, and their inability to try new experiences.
Pressfield, Steven. The Legend of Bagger Vance. (GOLF)
A golf novel in which Bagger Vance, a caddy who holds the secret of the Authentic Swing, has a profound influence on the life of a young boy.
Reilly, Rick. Slo-Mo. (BASKETBALL)
Growing up in a bizarre cave-dwelling cult in Colorado, seven-foot, eight inch Maurice "Slo-Mo" Finsternick knows nothing about the NBA-that is until the day he's discovered and becomes the hottest sports icon in the country.
Revoyr, Nina. The Necessary Hunger. (BASKETBALL)
The story of two high school senior who must negotiate the pressures of being star athletes, the complicated terrain of their home situation, and the ambiguities of their own intense, cometitive friendship.
Say, Allen. Stranger in the Mirror. (SKATEBOARDING)
When a young Asian-American boy who spends all of his time skateboarding wakes up one morning with the face of an old man, he has trouble convincing people that he is still himself.
Sirota, Mike. Bicycling Through Space and Time. (BICYCLING)
Jack Miller's 22-speed bike shifts him out of reality and onto the Ultimate Bike Path--a cosmic expressway to hundreds of different worlds, past, present, and future.
Soto, Gary. Taking Sides. (BASKETBALL)
Fourteen-year-old Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood.
Spinner, Stephanie. Quiver. (RUNNING)
Sixteen-year-old Atalanta, abandoned as an infant, has grown to become a renowned archer and swiftest mortal alive due to the intervention of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, so when the father who forsook her so many years before issues an ultimatum that Atalanta marry and produce an heir, she counters with the condition that the man she weds must be able to best her in a footrace or die.
Sweeney, Joyce. Players. (BASKETBALL)
Eighteen-year-old Corey sees a threat to his dream of winning the basketball championship when he discovers that the new player on his team is a girl-stealing, friend-framing, team-destroying force of evil.
Voigt, Cynthia. The Runner. (RUNNING)
As a dedicated runner, a teenage boy has always managed to distance himself from other people until the experience of coaching one of his teammates on the track team gradually helps him see the value of giving and receiving.
Wallace, Rich. Playing Without the Ball. (BASKETBALL)
When his father leaves him alone for his senior year, Jay copes with his loneliness. When he tries out for the varsity basketball team, he hopes he will enjoy a successful senior year. He must revise his plans, however, and he finds happiness playing with schoolmates in a church basketball league.
Wallace, Rich. Shots on Goal. (SOCCER)
While pursuing his goal of helping his soccer team win the championship in the district playoffs, fifteen-year-old Bones tries to deal with his resentment of his best friend, on whose girlfriend he has a crush.
Wallace, Rich. Wrestling Sturbridge. (WRESTLING)
Stuck in a small town where no one ever leaves and relegated by his wrestling coach to sit on the bench while his best friend becomes state champion, Ben decides he can't let his last high school wrestling season slip by without challenging his friend and the future.
Weaver, Will. Farm Team. (BASEBALL)
With his father in jail and his mother working full-time, fourteen-year-old Billy Baggs finds himself in charge of running the family farm in northern Minnesota and having to give up the thing he loves most--baseball.
Wells, Rosemary. When No One Was Looking. (TENNIS)
A tragic chain of events threatens a 14-year-old girl's promising tennis career.
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Bat 6. (SOFTBALL)
In small town, post-World War Oregon, twenty-one 6th grade girls recount the story of an annual softball game, during which one girl's bigotry comes to the surface.
Zusak, Markus. Fighting Ruben Wolfe. (BOXING)
Cameron and Ruben Wolfe come from a family clinging to the ragged edge of the working class. To make money, the boys hook up with a sleazy fight promoter who sees something marketable in the untrained brothers' vulnerability. But they hide the boxing from their long-suffering mother. Together the Wolfes find that they're fighting for more than tips and payoff money. It becomes a fight for identity, for dignity, and for each other.
Armstrong, Lance. It’s Not About the Bike. (BICYCLING)
Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong describes his triumph over cancer.
Atkinson, Jay. Ice Time. (HOCKEY)
When Jay Atkinson grew up in Massachusetts in the 1970s, hockey was the passion and pasttime of himself and his friends. As a high school senior, he played on his school's first varsity team. Twenty-five years later, he returns to his high school as a volunteer assistant coach and follows the team through a season, reporting on the team's tempermental star, the lovesick goalie, the rookie whose father is battling cancer, and the "old school" coach.
Bissinger, H.G. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream. (FOOTBALL)
Examines the role of high school sports in America as seen through the story of a high school football season in Odessa, Texas.
Blais, Madeleine. In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle. (BASKETBALL)
Chronicles one basketball season of a girls' high school team in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Breashears, David. High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places.
Filmmaker and mountaineer David Breshears answers through his personal experiences the question of "why climb?"
Brennan, Christine. Inside Edge. (FIGURE SKATING)
Chronicle of a season on the figure skating circuit, discussing some of the sport's current stars and looking at Olympic hopefuls for 1998. Includes information on the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan clash, judging criteria, and the disrupted lives of young skaters and their families.
Bryson, Bill. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail . (HIKING)
Bryson share his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend. The two encounter eccentric characters, a blizzard, getting lost, and rude yuppies along the way.
Chotzinoff, Robin. People Who Sweat. (VARIOUS SPORTS)
Robin Chotzinoff hits the road in search of people who pursue unusual sports and recreational activities, including spelunking, tree-climbing, surfing (a grandma who surfs!) and marathon running. You won't break a sweat reading this fun, funny and fast-paced ride through the weird world of sports.
Colton, Larry. Counting Coup. (BASKETBALL)
Author Larry Colton spent a year on the Crow Reservation in Southern Montana, examining the lives of the girls on the Hardin High School basketball, who were from both Caucasian and Native American families. He becomes particularly fascinated with the team's star, Crow Indian Sharon LaForge, whose talent could be her escape from the poverty and alcoholism which plague her family.
Cooper, Cynthia. She Got Game. (BASKETBALL)
Cynthia Cooper tells her story of growing up in poverty and hungering for dreams that seemed out of reach, but sticking it out to achieve them.
Dugard, Martin. Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth. (ENDURANCE SPORTS)
The author, a freelance journalist, describes his experiences as a reporter and participant in the Raid Gauloises, an annual eight- to twelve-day race designed to test the limits of human endurance.
Gammelgaard, Lene. Climbing High: A Woman’s Account of Surviving the Everest Tragedy.
Autobiography of a woman's triumph and survival during the 1996 Scott Fischer Mountain Madness expedition to Mount Everest that suffered a sudden storm, human error and eight deaths.
Goldman, Jami. Up and Running: The Jami Goldman Story. (RUNNING)
In 1987, nineteen-year-old Jami Goldman and a friend were trapped for ten days in a car during a blizzard. After finally being rescued alive, Goldman learned that her frozen legs were beyond saving. Despite the double amputation, she recovered triumphantly from adversity, regaining her ability not only to walk with prostheses, but becoming an accomplished runner as well.
Greene, Bob. Rebound: The Odyssey of Michael Jordan. (BASKETBALL)
Follows NBA star Michael Jordan for two years, beginning with the murder of his father, continuing through his retirement from basketball, his short baseball career, and his shaky return to the Chicago Bulls.
Hawk, Tony. Hawk: Occupation: Skateboarder. (SKATEBOARDING)
Details the life and career of professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. Full of great information about becoming a professional skateboarder, with lots of action photos.
Hamm, Mia. Go for the Goal. (SOCCER)
Olympic and World Cup soccer champion Mia Hamm discusses her life, tracing her path to success on the field, and offers advice and tips to other girls who would like to follow in her footsteps.
Heywood, Leslie. Pretty Good for a Girl. (RUNNING)
In this memoir of her life as a runner, Leslie Heywood explores why girls need and want to participate in the American dream of competition and individual achievement; it also reveals the obstacles they still face.
Kennedy, A.L. On Bullfighting. (BULLFIGHTING)
Writer A.L. Kennedy is offered an assignment she can't refuse, an opportunity to travel to Spain and cover a sport that represents the ultimate confrontation with death: bullfighting.
Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air. (MOUNTAIN CLIMBING)
The author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.
Kurmaskie, Joe. Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled. (BICYCLING)
Contains forty essays in which the author describes the highlights and low moments of his cycling life, from its beginnings at the age of five when he ran off with his sister's bike, through five cross-country tours.
Lambert, Craig. Mind Over Water: Lessons on Life from the Art of Rowing. (ROWING)
The author shares the lessons about life and living that he has learned from his experiences rowing.
Littman, Jonathan. The Beautiful Game. (SOCCER)
A riveting story of sixteen girls whose lives were changed in the course of one soccer season.
Loren, BK. The Way of the River. (MARTIAL ARTS)
An autobiographical account of the author's experiences with various forms of martial arts and how they have helped her develop patience and wisdom.
Lynn, Elizabeth. Babe Didrikson Zaharias. (VARIOUS SPORTS)
Describes the athletic career and achievements of American athlete Babe Didrikson, who competed successfully in golf, track and field, and many other sports.\ in the 1930s.
Maxwell, Jessica. Driving Myself Crazy. (GOLF)
Jessica Maxwell writes of her attempts to learn golf and her games at some of the finest golf courses.
Pfetzer, Mark. My Everest Story. (MOUNTAIN CLIMBING)
The author describes how he spent his teenage years climbing mountains in the United States, South America, Africa, and Asia, with an emphasis on his two expeditions up Mount Everest.
Picket, Lynn Snowden. Looking for a Fight. (BOXING)
Seeking an outlet for aggression and hurt she feels after a painful divorce, Lynn Picket is led by her trainer to a gym in New York City, where she learns how to box. After ten months, she is ready for her first public fight against another woman equal to her in strength and size, the greatest physical challenge she has ever faced. She finds, however, the greatest test of her courage will be knowing when to quit.
Reynolds, Bill. Fall River Dreams. (BASKETBALL)
Adapted from the award-winning documentary film, Hoop Dreams tracks these two young men for almost five years as they struggle to turn their playground skills into the kind of basketball mastery that could earn them college scholarships and maybe even a place in the pros. A story of hardship and determination, Hoop Dreams is as fastmoving, exciting and suspenseful as a hard-fought, down to the buzzer championship game.
Rushin, Steve. Road Swing. (VARIOUS SPORTS)
Steve Rushin recounts the adventures he has as he spent seven months traveling to all of America's most popular sports shrines.
Ryan, Joan. Little Girls in Pretty Boxes. (GYMNASTICS AND FIGURE SKATING)
Investigates the destructive side of women's elite competition in gymnastics and figure-skating, exposing such problems as eating disorders, stunted growth, and debilitating injuries. Concludes that abusive coaches and intense pressure from parents are often to blame.
Salzman, Mark. Iron and Silk. (MARTIAL ARTS)
An American describes his experiences after his arrival in Hunan Province in 1982 to teach English, including his wushu training and life in post-Mao China.
Sandoz, Joli. A Whole Other Ball Game. (MULTIPLE SPORTS)
A collection of short stories, poems, and novel excerpts telling the exciting story of women's sports from the sportswoman's own point of view.
Shields, David. Black Planet. (BASKETBALL).
Explores how white basketball fans think about and talk about African-American heroes, scapegoats, and bodies.
Stewart, Traci. Payne Stewart. (GOLF)
Golf champion Payne Stewart's widow Tracey tells the story of his life, chronicling his career, their marriage and child-rearing, and the events surrounding his death.
Walker, Paul Robert. Hoop Dreams. (BASKETBALL)
Adapted from the award-winning documentary film, Hoop Dreams tracks these two young men for almost five years as they struggle to turn their playground skills into the kind of basketball mastery that could earn them college scholarships and maybe even a place in the pros. A story of hardship and determination, Hoop Dreams is as fastmoving, exciting and suspenseful as a hard-fought, down to the buzzer championship game.
Weyland, Jocko. The Answer is Never: A Skateboarder’s History of the World. (SKATEBOARDING)
The stories of early skateboarders like Gregg Weaver and Dogtown Z-Boys, as well as living skateboarders such as Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero are the subject of journalist Jocko Weyland's personal history of his, and others', skateboarding experiences. It traces skateboarding from its invention to its current popularity and offers a detailed view into the sport and subculture of skateboarding.
Woods, Earl. Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures withTiger, (GOLF)
Biography of golfer Tiger Woods, written by his father, discussing family stories, controversies surrounding him, the challenges of turning professional, and why he left Stanford after two years.