Book Finder

Baseball was very popular in 1900 but it was played mostly by boys.  In a small state in a small town in New England, however, a girl named Lizzie was going to change that. Lizzie’s natural skill at the sport was evident early on and she (with the support of her family) stuck with it to become the Queen of Baseball. Buoyant illustrations and readable text combine to present an upbeat story of this early female athlete.

Pedro Martinez grew up in the Dominican Republic but became a star in baseball’s major leagues. His life is presented in luminous illustrations and readable text all presented in a large and appealing format.

Glimpse stories from the childhoods of well-known athletes from a variety of sports. People range from Babe Ruth to Yao Ming, Julie Krone to Tiger Woods with lots in between. Cartoon illustrations are sprinkled throughout for an inviting package that ends with a bibliography and an index.

A boy with a swim cap and goggles stands at the edge of a colorless pool which is soon invaded by plump adults. Nonetheless, he takes the dive and finds friendship, fantastic adventure, and amazing color beneath the surface. This wordless picture book is just right to spark imaginations and original stories as you make them up anew with each reading.

Baseball fans Mike and Kate solve the mystery surrounding the lackluster play of their favorite rookie. Fans of baseball are sure to enjoy this easier to read mystery, the latest in an appealing series.

Sophisticated baseball aficionados will appreciate the highs (and lows) of the game over decades, organized by its three seasons: spring, summer, fall. The author’s work as a sports writer is evident in his chatty, approachable style.

The Bell twins are stars on the basketball court and comrades in life. While there are some differences — Josh shaves his head and Jordan loves his locks — both twins adhere to the Bell basketball rules: In this game of life, your family is the court, and the ball is your heart. When life intervenes in the form of a new girl, the balance shifts and growing apart proves painful. Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip-hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond. The effect is poetry in motion. It is a rare verse novel that is fundamentally poetic rather than using this writing trend as a device. There is also a quirky vocabulary element that adds a fun intellectual note to the narrative. This may be just the right book for those hard-to-match youth who live for sports or music or both. (2015 Newbery Medal Winner)

Flora dances on a thick sheet of ice with a penguin companion who appears from a hole in the ice. Humor and movement are enhanced by the gentle depiction of fluid girl and bird body language, and through the unique perspectives shown. Glued-in flaps and fold-outs add another dimension and a bit of surprise.

Richard has put off his report on howler monkeys and now he’s got to get a note from his teacher signed. It surely will thwart his plans to attend the skateboard birthday party! How Richard resolves his dilemma is as realistic as the kids and adults in this engaging, contemporary tale.

The Beaver Brothers in all their silliness are back for another madcap adventure. This time, Ace and Bub decide to hit the ski slopes on their winter vacation. As with others in the series, nothing goes quite as planned. Fans of the zany comic book beavers will again find lots of chuckles here.

Michaela DePrince and her adoptive mother share Michaela’s story of how her dream to become a professional dancer came true. Orphaned in Sierra Leone’s ongoing war, Michaela and her best friend came to the United States and were adopted. Her story is told through personal narrative and paintings punctuated by actual photographs.

Misty Copeland, the African American Ballet Theater soloist, has an encouraging conversation with a young black aspiring ballerina: “darling child, don’t you know/you’re just where I started/let the sun shine on your face….” Stunning mixed media illustrations capture the movement of dance and emotions of hope.

Jesse isn’t as good a football player as his older brother but with a bit of encouragement from a friend, he tries out and gets the position of quarterback on the freshman team. And can a girl be the team’s kicker? Appearances don’t always reveal what a person can do — even in football. Recognizable concerns are sure to resonate with readers.

Tacky and his friends are training for the Winter Games and when the competition finally arrives, the other animals are worried that Tacky’s lack of training will ruin their chance at a medal. Along with the humor, the author brings in many facets of the Olympics: training before the games, the march of the athletes into the stadium for the opening ceremonies that include the lighting of a torch.

What kind of cat would go sliding off on skis, and who’d believe it anyway? When the family accidentally leaves Henry, their sassy Siamese, behind at the ski lodge, he takes matters into his own paws in this lively adventure.

An overview of what’s involved in putting on and participating in the Olympics. Learn about the opening ceremonies, the many Olympic events in the Summer and Winter games, the medal presentations, and the Olympic village.

Niño, the Boy, clad in underwear, dons the traditional mask of luchadores to cleverly beat opponents from Mexican lore. Spanish words are included in the bold, colorful design of this appealing book with its surprise ending. End pages provide pronunciation and information on the Spanish language.

Amar’e is a good athlete and a good kid. But a group of bullies want to keep Amar’e off their home court. How Amar’e resolves the problem (told in first person) creates a fast-paced basketball story to launch a new series by an NBA All-Star.

Stink is still afraid to put his head underwater so fears he’ll remain a “polliwog”. When frogs start to appear everywhere, however, Stink learns about them, what’s really going on, and learns to swim! The latest installment about Judy Moody’s little brother is sure to please.

Meet Jet, Chuck, Donnie and Bruce — not only ninjas skilled in martial arts but clever, bright and brave. The first books in the series about ninja meerkats are fast and funny, silly and generously illustrated, just right for light summer reading!

Iditarod racers often run in families of humans and the dogs that run. The grueling, exciting race is introduced in clearly labeled photographs and crisp text just right for dipping in and out of for a glimpse at the brave animals and people who run it.

This remarkable story is based on the life of Billy Wong, a Chinese-American who travels to Europe, becomes fascinated with bullfighting, and decides to become a matador. Eventually, Billy’s determination and recognition of what makes him unique helps him realize his dream. Luminous watercolors illustrate this sensitive picture book biography.

“Along with well-known figures such as Jim Thorpe and National Hockey League hit man Jordin Tootoo, Schilling introduces Olympic wheelchair racer Cheri Becerra-Madsen, speed skier Ross Anderson, ice dancer Naomi Lang, and eight other less-familiar Native American athletes of the present and recent past. Most of the portraits are based on personal interviews; all include tribal affiliations, career notes (sometimes in boldface), brief sidebars, and small, black-and-white action photos.” — Booklist