More inspiring tales of young dreamers and achievers.
Profiles of 16 Olympians and Paralympians who qualify as “Kid Legends.”
Though all, as Stevenson writes, were “little kids who liked to run, jump, and play,” the five men and eleven women introduced here each had a unique array of obstacles to overcome and sacrifices to make on their way to athletic glory—of which sexism and racism were, for most, only the beginning. Wilma Rudolph, for instance, came back from childhood polio, little person Ellie Simmonds won Paralympic gold twice in 2008, and Simone Biles triumphed over sexual abuse, mental health issues, and ADHD. The author highlights the important roles parents have played in many of these success stories: After she spent years scooting around on the floor of her Russian orphanage, racer Tatyana McFadden received a wheelchair from her adoptive moms; Venus and Serena Williams’ father had their tennis training mapped out on paper before they were born; and it was her mother who initially persuaded a reluctant Ibtihaj Muhammad to take up fencing, because the sport’s protective clothing allowed the hijabi Muslim girl to compete while remaining modestly covered. Steinfeld’s cartoon scenes, which are as upbeat as the narratives, place the budding international stars amid physically and racially diverse groups of family members and fellow competitors or in climactic victory poses.
More inspiring tales of young dreamers and achievers. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693710
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing.
In this graphic memoir by sports journalist Shah, a ninth grader pursues his passion in the face of familial expectations pushing him toward a medical career, while also navigating the perils of high school social life.
It’s 1995, and Indian American Amar is desperate to meet the Chicago Bulls—Michael Jordan, in particular—when they stop by his Orlando, Florida, school. A lucky break leads him to his first sports interview, with Phil Jackson, and his tenacity takes him further, leading to multiple conversations with Shaquille O’Neal. But Amar’s luck in journalism doesn’t spill over to his relationship with his crush, blond Kasey Page (“like a mixture of Cameron Diaz, Tinkerbell, and heaven”), or his efforts to remain close with best friends Rohit and Cherian, who start spending more time with other classmates. The work relies on captions as much as plot developments to propel the story. It also follows a broad cast of characters—close and former friends, antagonists, supportive adults, and famous athletes—who appear in multiple storylines. The story accurately depicts the complexities of life as a young teen, though overlapping life challenges pull it in multiple directions, leaving some threads underexplored and hastily wrapped up. Doucet illustrates the characters using loose, disjointed outlines that give the artwork a sense of movement, and the colorful backgrounds use patterns and action lines to indicate a wide array of emotions.
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing. (author’s note, photographs) (Graphic memoir. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781546110514
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In no particular order and using no set criteria for his selections, veteran sportscaster Berman pays tribute to an arbitrary gallery of baseball stars—all familiar names and, except for the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, retired from play for decades. Repeatedly taking the stance that statistics are just numbers but then reeling off batting averages, home-run totals, wins (for pitchers) and other data as evidence of greatness, he offers career highlights in a folksy narrative surrounded by photos, side comments and baseball-card–style notes in side boxes. Readers had best come to this with some prior knowledge, since he casually drops terms like “slugging percentage,” “dead ball era” and “barnstorming” without explanation and also presents a notably superficial picture of baseball’s history—placing the sport’s “first half-century” almost entirely in the 1900s, for instance, and condescendingly noting that Jackie Robinson’s skill led Branch Rickey to decide that he “was worthy of becoming the first black player to play in the majors.” The awesome feats of Ruth, Mantle, the Gibsons Bob and Josh, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb and the rest are always worth a recap—but this one’s strictly minor league. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3886-4
Page Count: 138
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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