Sports Biographies For Kids

Forget the gold medals, the championships, and the undefeated seasons. When all-star athletes were growing up, they had regular-kid problems just like you. Baseball legend Babe Ruth was such a troublemaker that his family sent him to reform school. Race-car champion Danica Patrick fended off bullies who told her “girls can’t drive”. And football superstar Peyton Manning was forced to dance the tango in his school play.

From the East Baltimore playground courts where he earned his nickname by muggin' opponents for possession of the ball to Dunbar High School where he excelled alongside future NBA players, Muggsy Bogues set the tone in his early years for the great heights he'd reach professionally. In this new autobiography, Bogues delves deep into his life and career, reflecting on legendary battles with Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and other generational stars of ’80s and ’90s hoops.

Gordie Gillespie’s coaching prowess stands alone: While coaching three sports - baseball, football, and basketball - his teams won 2,410 games, four national collegiate baseball titles, and five Illinois State High School football championships, he was inducted into 18 halls of fame, including the College Baseball Hall of Fame, won four NAIA national baseball coach of the year awards, named the NAIA Baseball Coach of the Century in 2000, and his 1,888 wins in collegiate baseball made him the highest winning collegiate baseball coach of all time.

The powerful story of an indomitable spirit, defying the odds from the very beginning. Born near death and legally deaf from within a fundamentalist polygamist commune in rural Montana, Lance Allred's story is the inspiring journey of an underdog who never gave up on a dream on his way to becoming the first deaf player in NBA history.

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger comes a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Diana Taurasi! When Diana Taurasi was a girl, professional women's basketball didn't exist in the US...

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has had incredible success playing at the highest levels of football. Andrew helped Stanford University win the Orange Bowl in 2010. He could have gone to the National Football League (NFL) after the season, but Andrew returned to Stanford to get his degree. He was chosen by the Colts with the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Andrew quickly made his new team a winner. Learn more about this young quarterback with a bright future.

Told in a new Who HQ Now format for trending topics, this Who Was? biography details NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's legendary career and the impact of his legacy on the sports world and beyond. Kobe Bryant was just an eighteen-year-old high-school basketball player when he decided to enter the...

How did a young girl from Vermont grow up to become an American rugby union superstar? Find out in this entertaining biography about Olympic medal winner Ilona Maher, who has championed body positivity in her funny and engaging social media posts. Ilona Maher has always been an athlete. From a...

Don't miss this action-packed and comprehensive look at the life and achievements of an NFL legend! With more Super Bowl appearances than any other player in NFL history, Tom Brady is a sports icon. From his college days as a backup quarterback at University of Michigan to his record-breaking...

Learn about the amazing life of the former world No. 1 tennis player who fought for gender equality in sports! Billie Jean King's legacy as a tennis star, a feminist, and an LGBTQ+ trailblazer shines through in this addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Series. Billie Jean King grew up...

The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher features the real-life childhood stories and exploits of young Brian Urlacher and illustrate how they shaped him into the world-class athlete he became. The first of The Middle School Rules series, these books not only entertain, but also inspire greatness in the next generation by highlighting the importance of being your best, overcoming adversity, and reaching your dreams through discipline and hard work.

Rev your engines and get ready for this exciting look at how Dale Earnhardt Jr. lived up to his family legacy and became one of the greatest professional stock car racing drivers in the world. No one was surpised when Dale Earnhardt Jr. began his racing career at age seventeen. His father and...

Whether you call it football or soccer, there's no disputing that David Beckham is one of the best players in the history of the game! Whenever a young David Beckham was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd always answer with the same response: I want to be a footballer. This English...

The BEYOND THE GAME series features athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss. This is the story of Indigenous professional runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone and her social justice work organizing and...

Forget just touchdowns and stats. What if your child could unlock the real-life superpowers that forged football's greatest legends? This is more than a book of stories; it’s a journey into the heart of a champion, revealing the secrets of Resilience, Leadership, Integrity, and the many other hidden virtues that separate the good from the G.O.A.T. This is the playbook for building a champion's heart. Inside, you won't just hear about what these gridiron heroes did; you'll discover how their character powered every play.

Different sports. Different backgrounds. Different barriers to break. One thing in common: they got there first … fearlessly. Hear about more than 50 athletes who took risks, overcame the odds, and changed the rules. From historical figures to modern trailblazers, these athletes never gave up, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and transformed the world of sports forever.

Discover the true story of Maria Pepe, an eleven-year-old girl who changed the course of Little League history. Maria Pepe loved baseball. When Little League formed in her hometown in 1972, she was eager to prove herself as a competitor. There was only one problem: Little League was not open to...

Did you know that Muhammad Ali was so terrified of flying on planes that he would bring a parachute? Or that he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Bet you didn’t know that he had an official sweat-taster to determine how salty his sweat was after each match! Siblings Paige and Turner do - and they’ve collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about him, from his childhood and the spark of his boxing career through his time as heavyweight champion of the world.

Read about American snowboarder Shaun White and his epic career in this exciting addition to the Who Was? series. Shaun White, known as “The Flying Tomato" because of his bright red hair, received his first snowboarding sponsorship by age seven. This was just the first of a lifetime of...

Beyond the Game is a new nonfiction chapter book series about athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss. This is the story of WNBA star Maya Moore and her social justice work. Before she became one of the most famous...