When Thom's super strength first showed up, it was bad enough. She used to love playing soccer, but now she either barely taps the ball or hits it so hard it injures people. Then her mother moves her across the country and she struggles to fit in. At her old school there were plenty of Asian-American kids, but at her new school it makes her stand out as she gets bullied for her 'strange' ways. Then she accidentally unleashes the Monkey King and her life is changed forever. She's heard the stories about how he's a trickster, but he seems nice enough. And he's the only one who seems able to help her with her powers. Soon she discovers all the stories her mother told her are true and she has no idea who she really is or who she can trust.

This fantasy story based on Vietnamese mythology drew me in from the first page. Thom is a great character and it's easy to relate to her struggle to fit in and confusion over who to trust. The Monkey King is charismatic, but mischievous. Her new neighbor seems nice but is clearly hiding something. And Thom's mother loves her but refuses to tell her anything about her father. It certainly kept me guessing and resulted in a few surprises. A fun adventure story for all. 

Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang 
Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th grade
​tags: adventure, animals, fantasy, fast-paced, People of Color, retellings, sports

It's Ellen's last summer before college, and all she wants is to spend the time with her best friends before everything changes. But Xiumiao seems like she's already moved on. Then Ellen gets grounded for the whole summer by her step-mother. Luckily her other best friend, Melissa finds a loophole. Ellen's parents are always on her about getting outside and exercising more, so Melissa convinces them to let Ellen out of the house for quidditch practice. At first Ellen only agrees to it because the alternative is being stuck indoors doing chores all day. But soon this all-gender, full-contact sport with a bunch of geeks running around with PVC pipes between their legs starts to grow on her. She finally understands the appeal of sports, and she starts to understand some more things about herself too. It wasn't the summer Ellen wanted or expected, but it will turn out to be one she will never forget.

There's a lot to love about this book full of enthusiastic geeks and misunderstandings. The relationships are complicated and authentic. The protagonists are on the cusp of adulthood and figuring out their identities and exploring their gender and sexual orientation in a way that will ring true to many teens. I am not a sports fan but Ellen's journey from hating exercise to enthusiastic team player was moving. As was the way the characters learned from their mistakes and false assumptions. A great summer read.

This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, LGBTQ, People of Color, SEL, sports, summer vacation

Gene was never interested in sports, but when he suffers from writer's block and everyone at school is talking about the basketball team, he senses a story. By the time he is done he's immersed himself in the history of basketball as a sport and the specifics of its history at his school. His school really does have a remarkable team with players destined for greatness. Gene was always interested in superheroes and comics, but he never imagined the epic stories of heroes right under his nose and how big a fan he'd become.

This is a great comic for basketball fans and the sports-shy alike. The human stories explored in the comic are universal and I feel lucky that Gene recorded their story to share with all of us. Especially considering its local setting. I'm a fan of Gene's work so I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes glimpse I got into his life as a comics creator. 

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
7th & 8th grades
​tags:

In the early days of football, no one wore helmets, forward passes weren't allowed, and the "Big Four" had a stranglehold on championships. But when a high number of deaths made some college deans threaten to ban football, Teddy Roosevelt stepped in to save it and institute new rule changes that would make it safer, break up gridlock on the field, and make it more fun for spectators. No one made it more fun to watch than Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indians. They invented the spiral, created innovative plays, and outplayed teams twice their size while maintaining a gruelling schedule of away games. Jim Thorpe was their breakout star with a speed and style that couldn't be touched. To find out more about the history of football, the life of Jim Thorpe, and life at Indian Boarding Schools, read Undefeated.

I am not a sports fan, but I absolutely loved this book! As always, Sheinkin's writing has all the emotion and fast pacing of a novel and the fact that it's all true only adds to the fascination. There's a wide variety of topics covered but it all feels cohesive. I particularly appreciate the way Sheinkin addresses injustices without sounding preachy and while engaging the reader. A sure-fit hit with fans of history and sports.

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin
Erica's Picks
6th - 8th grade
Tags: history, nonfiction, people of color, sports

While not a sports fan, I loved this book including the fast paced basketball action. The main character Adam was adopted in Poland when he was 11 and immigrated to American with his new mom, a U.S. citizen.  Adam is not very communicative with any one but his mom and good buddy Barry as he is embarrassed about his English proficiency. His voice is so well written, I can hear his accent and foreign phrasing. This attracts the attention of Kase whose bullying and ridicule trigger Adam’s anger management issues.
When his basketballs skills attract the attention of star player Carli and her coach father, things begin to look up for Adam.
All the side characters are well crafted and interesting. When Adam makes some insensitive racial comments, these are fully worked out in a realistic manner that he accepts and learns from.
This quote sums it up for me:
"I know I will fight injustice, and sometimes that means a protest and a battle....but I think many times that means just being a good, kind person in the world."
You will be a better person for seeing into the lives of these engaging characters. And entertained…sports, romance, interpersonal relationships, humor, identity woven into a brilliant book.
​Tessa's Picks, 7-8th grade, Character driven, Contemporary fiction, Issues fiction, Romance, Sports, Social justice

When Chase wakes up in a hospital room, he doesn't even recognize his own mother. As the weeks pass, his body recovers, but his past is still a complete blank. His dad tells Chase that he was the star of the football and lacrosse teams and his mom points out his best friends to him. But when school starts, he notices that kids shrink away from him in the hallways and his 'best friends' are jerks. He has a lot of questions about his past, but people are reluctant to answer him. As his memories come back and he learns who he was, the main question on everyone's mind is who will he be? Will the old Chase return, or is this a fresh start?

I loved this book! There's sports, humor, viral YouTube videos, and a lot more to enjoy. I particularly like that it shifts perspective so I got a sense of how the other students responded to Chase and how he affected their lives.

​Restart by Gordon Korman

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th Grade
Tags: ​contemporary fiction, friendship, humor, issues fiction, school stories, sports

Playing sports always brought Trent joy. Everyone in town knew him as the golden kid who could excel at any type of game, and he took pride in his reputation. Until the day a pick-up hockey game changed his life forever. One slapshot to the chest combined with an un-diagnosed heart condition made Trent a killer. Now it's a new school year and a new baseball season. It should be a fresh start, but Trent can't leave the past behind. He's changed into someone his friends and family don't recognize and he's not sure if he can ever go back, or if he even wants to. Will he ever play sports again? Who will he be without them?

The characters in this story are simply fantastic. It would take a very cold heart not to sympathize with Trent as he recovers from the grief and guilt of accidentally killing another kid. Those who enjoy sports will be especially impacted by the loss Trent feels at his inability to play the way he did before. Misfits and sports neophytes, on the other hand, will relate to the other main character Fallon, who helps Trent adjust to his new life. A little something for everyone.

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th Grade
Tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, friendship, issues fiction, school stories, sports

​Braden just wants to keep his head down and play baseball. But his entire world is turned upside-down when his father is arrested for killing a police officer. His father is a well-known christian radio personality, which makes the case a field day for the press. Braden is the key witness in his trail, and in the midst of this circus he has to decide how he will testify. Everyone takes sides, and naturally his team has his back. The nephew of the cop Braden's father is accused of killing plays baseball at a neighboring school, and when the two teams face off, everyone feels that there's much more than a game at stake.

I'm not a baseball fan, but this book made me care about the game. Religion, politics, sexuality, sports, race: this book sounds like the recipe for an awkward and contentious dinner conversation, but somehow Gilbert pulls it all together into a fantastic and compelling novel.

Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Erica's Picks 8th & up
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Issues Fiction, LGBTQ, Sports

I just read some reviews of this book on Goodreads. People are all over the place.  Some love Parker for her snarky, sarcastic, fiercely independent, unforgiving, courageous, selfish, self-centered persona.  Others hate her for it.  Did I mention that she happens to be blind and runs track so fast the coach thinks the timer is broken?  She has a set of rules for life; here are a few:
Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.
Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me.
Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter.
There are NO second chances. Violate my trust and I’ll never trust you again. Betrayal is unforgivable.
Unfortunately she believes that the boy she has always loved violated her trust and she will NEVER forgive him even if she loves him still.  Prickly with practically everyone, Parker is not an empathetic character, yet you root for her and wish she would let people closer and realize that everyone is fighting their own battle.

Tessa' s Picks
8th summer 2016, Character driven, Contemporary fiction, Sports; 7th grade, 8th grade