Summer Reads about Sports

Are you a sports fanatic? We’ve got just the right summer read for you! Whether you love to play sports or watch the big games in person or on television, you’ll love checking out these fiction and nonfiction summer reads about sports. Recommended by Nicole Stichter, Youth Services Librarian, all of these titles are available to check out from the Hancock County Public Library, where you can also sign up for their Summer Reading Challenge!

This 72-page chapter book for ages 8-11 is part of the Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories. In “Gymnastic Jitters,” we follow Dana and her gymnastics team, the Raiders, as they compete against the Superiors, their biggest rivals. The Superiors choose not to play fair, offering the Raiders a valuable lesson in sportsmanship. With more than 2 million copies sold of this 19-book short novel series, you’ll have a bunch more books to read next if you enjoy Dana’s story. 

Do you love reading trivia or fast facts? Then “My Weird School Fast Facts: Sports” is perfect for you. Check out a series of short entries about weird sports facts, including an NFL touchdown thrown by a quarterback to himself and what type of metal is really used to make Olympic gold medals. Can you guess the only sport that has been ever played on the moon? You’ll have to check out this fast facts book to find out!

Another fiction novel is next on our list, and this one has a famous author! LeBron James wrote “We are Family” with journalist and author, Andrea Williams, just last year. At 247 pages, this middle-grade novel is recommended for ages 9-12. After training all summer, Jayden and his teammates learn that the Hoop Group, a free afterschool basketball program where their NBA hero got his start, has been canceled — and may not come back at all. The friends learn to lean on each other as a family to save their basketball season in order to take their big shot.

Written by Kwame Alexander, “The Crossover” follows twin middle school basketball stars Josh and Jordan as they navigate through life both on and off the court. When their father’s health starts to decline, which he chooses to ignore, the brothers must find a way to pull off a game-changer for the entire family. This 273-page Newbury Medal winner is recommended for ages 10+ and is available at the Hancock County Public Library as a graphic novel too!

Are you a big biography reader? Check out this 310-page biography of world-famous boxer Muhammad Ali, which details his childhood as Cassius Clay. Growing up as a determined boy in Louisville, KY, Cassius faced struggles in school and racism, choosing to study boxing at the age of 12 after a thief stole his bike. Written by James Patterson in collaboration with Kwame Alexander, this could be a great nonfiction follow-up to the previous book on our list for students aged 9-12!

If you like a good mystery, check out Book One of the “Baseball Great” series by Tim Green, New York Times bestselling author and former NFL player. When Josh gets written up as “Grant Middle’s best hope for its first-ever city-wide championship” in his school paper, he starts to feel the pressure. His father pulls him out of the school league to try out for a local youth championship team, where his new coach has him taking protein shakes and supplements that Josh is wary of. When he and a new friend on the school paper discover a dangerous secret, they must stay safe while trying to expose the truth. This middle-grade novel is 272 pages long.

Join the Summer Reading Club at the Hancock County Public Library by signing up for an age-appropriate Reading Challenge from June 1 to August 1. Track your time spent reading (or listening to someone else read) these summer reads about sports and more for chances to win prizes. All ages are welcome and you can sign up today at hcplibrary.org.