Charley Cuffey is many things: a granddaughter, a best friend, and probably the best pitcher in all of Lee’s Mill. When Charley challenges a neighborhood bully to a game at the church picnic, she knows she can win, even with her ragtag team. But when the picnic spills over onto their ball field, she makes a fateful decision that brings consequences she never could have imagined. In this thrilling sequel, set during the turbulent segregation era and the beginning of The Great Migration, Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family.
Sports are a big part of many kids’ lives, making up a lot of extracurricular activity options, as well as being the setting where many children make some of their firmest friends. While many of us (self included) hated PE at school, there really is a sport out there for everyone, if you find the right activity and group of people to do it with. Sports is also a field full of drama, high emotion, and unexpected twists and turns. That’s why it’s unsurprising that there are so many sports books for middle grade readers out there.
While there are dozens of brilliant sports-themed middle grade books to choose from, the best ones don’t just delve into the sport itself. Although that’s often an important part of it and can inspire young readers to try new activities they otherwise wouldn’t have thought of, sports books for middle grade readers also let young sports fans explore issues like body confidence, friendship, and even how to stand up to adults who are pushing them too hard. Some look at the historical inequalities in sports, like racist segregation or the underfunding of women’s sports, while others use the graphic novel medium to create an action-packed sporting tale.
Here are some of the best sports books for middle grade readers to kick off your sporty reading.
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
In this heartwarming graphic novel, young heroine Bree is starting middle school and is dismayed to find that the only sport she can take is swimming. With the help of Etta, an older woman living in her building, Bree overcomes her fear of the water and learns to love swimming. But the stakes are raised when it becomes clear that Bree is the only person who can turn her school’s sporting fortunes around.
Keeping Pace by Laurie Morrison
Stories about friendship breakups (or near-breakups) can be very important for middle grade readers, and Keeping Pace gives us a poignant story about a difficult friendship against the backdrop of distance running. Grace and Jonah used to be friends, but they are now constantly trying to outdo each other. So when Jonah beats Grace’s GPA, Grace is determined to beat him at a half-marathon. As the two train for their race, they start to re-evaluate what’s really important to them both.
Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera
Synchronised swimming is a fascinating sport, and Barely Floating takes a deep and nuanced look through the eyes of Nat, a young girl who used to swim races until she saw a synchronised swimming display and fell in love. Nat is desperate to start synchronised swimming herself, but her parents are wary, pointing out that the sport centres thin, white swimmers. However, Nat is determined to prove that a plus-sized Brown girl can also compete.
Select by Christie Matheson
If you have any young readers in your life who were inspired by the Women’s World Cup, they’ll love Select. This book follows the story of Alex, whose soccer skills get her into a high-level junior soccer club. At first, she loves playing with the other girls, but when their coach begins pushing the team too hard, the squad realises that they need to push back. Select is a story about finding what you love, and learning to stand up for yourself – even against adults.
Warrior on the Mound by Sandra W. Headen
Many sports have a history of racism and segregation, and baseball is no exception. Set in 1935, 12-year-old Cato is part of a Black baseball team threatened by the white residents of the town after the boys use the “whites-only” baseball field. As tensions climb higher, Cato and his friends decide that the only way they can stop any potential future violence is to challenge the white team to a baseball game.
Key Player by Kelly Yang
The fourth book in Yang’s Front Desk series, Key Player sees Mia throw herself into the world of women’s soccer. Trying to boost up her PE grade, Mia is delighted to find out that the Women’s World Cup will be played in her home state of California. She plans to interview the players to try and get extra credit for her class, all while dealing with her family moving house and other challenges.
Fast Pitch by Nic Stone
Set in the world of softball, Fast Pitch follows Shenice, who captains her under-12 team, the Fulton Firebirds. The Firebirds are the league’s only all-girls of colour team, which means they face multiple microaggressions on and off the field. Shenice has to gather all her strength to lead her team to victory.
Hoops by Matt Tavares
This graphic novel tells the tale of a real historical struggle for gender equity in the world of basketball. Set in 1975, Hoops follows the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team, who have won every game, but don’t get any of the credit or resources that are given to the boys’ team. The team pulls together to succeed despite the lack of help, doing everything from making their own basketball uniforms and fundraising to get to the finals.
Sink or Swim by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie
Many middle grade stories focus on girls’ friendships, but boys have friendship dramas too. Sink or Swim explores this through the story of Ty, who has been benched by his swim team for a while following a broken arm. When he’s cleared to swim again, Ty realises he’s struggling to reconnect with his friends. He is also afraid that he’s lost some of his swimming ability while he’s been on rest. This graphic novel is a sweet and thoughtful tale about regaining confidence.
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao
In this autobiographical comic, Christina and her best friend Megan are excited to try out for the cheerleading squad at their middle school. As two of the only girls of colour in their small town, they have been close all their lives, but being part of the cheerleading squad means they’ll be pushed further than they ever have before. The pressure will put their friendship to the test.
Want more? Dive into They Came, They Saw, They Kicked Butt: 10 Books About Girls Who Play Sports. For older readers, browse of YA Books About Basketball.
