Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends (Kid Legends, #2)

by David Stabler

Doogie Horner (Illustrator)

With all the best elements of Kid Presidents--colourful illustrations, kid-relatable subjects, true tales of overcoming adversity. -Kid Athletes tells true tales from the childhoods of a wide range of athletes. Did you know...Babe Ruth was so incorrigible he was sent to reform school at the age of seven. Historians now think the Babe may have suffered from attention deficit disorder, which contributed to his wild, hyperactive nature--and may have helped him develop his almost supernatural ability to hit a baseball. Mia Hamm was born with a club foot. She underwent multiple surgeries, had to wear special casts and corrective shoes until she was a toddler. She overcame her disability to become the most prolific goal scorer in the history of soccer. Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) learned how to fight after a thief stole his bicycle when he was twelve. When little Cassius vowed to whup the kid who'd swiped his wheels, a kindly police officer offered to give him boxing lessons. And a heavyweight legend was born.
The lineup of potential subjects is exciting and diverse: female athletes like the Williams sisters, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias; African-American legends like Jackie Robinson and Michael Jordan; international stars like Yao Ming and Cristiano Ronaldo; and Native American icons like Jim Thorpe. With Doogie Horner's whimsical illustrations bringing every goal, touchdown, and championship to life, this book is a slam dunk for young readers.

• ISBN10: 1594748020
• ISBN13: 9781594748028
• Publish Date: 17 November 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quirk Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781594748028

Reviews

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Kid Athletes is a fun yet informative book about some of the country’s favorite athletes as children. Stories range from how they overcame discrimination to how they dealt with family problems or someone’s lack of belief in their skill. Some stories are inherently more inspiring than others (Jackie Robinson choosing baseball over becoming a gang member vs. Peyton Manning being embarrassed to dance the tango in a school performance), but all the stories paint the athletes in a relatable light and show readers that anything is possible with perseverance—and a few lucky breaks.

Each story is written in a conversational tone and illustrated with quirky cartoons: Peyton Manning trying to hide the VHS of his infamous tango, Babe Didrikson Zaharias relaxing in a river full of alligators, a mouse telling Babe Ruth that he likes his tie. This is nonfiction at its most engaging. Additionally, the book does a nice job incorporating diversity. Sports ranging from football to horse racing are covered, while the featured athletes include both men and women, historical and current players, etc.

Children’s nonfiction is not a genre I typically read. It was not something I even read much as a child. However, this book is entertaining and highly readable, and I felt I learned a lot from it. Now I only wish I were young enough to start pursuing my own legendary career in athletics. Recommended for sports fans.