Skip to main content

Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis' Fleet-Of-Foot Girl

By


Althea Gibson: The Story Of Tennis' Fleet-Of-Foot Girl
Written by:  Megan Reid
Illustrated by: Laura Freeman
HarperCollins Publishers, 2020. Biography

Althea Gibson was the quickest, fastest, tallest girl in Harlem in the 1940's and she was fearless. She could never sit still and would play any sport with anyone. She was good at everything she tried but the sport she liked best was paddle tennis. She loved the sound the ball made when it hit the tight strings of her  racket. She worked hard and spent years improving her skills and finally in 1950 she became the first black American to compete at the US national championship. However, she never gave up on her dream to eventually play internationally and compete in the championship game at Wimbledon. Finally in 1957 she was allowed to compete and became the first ever black person to win a championship at Wimbledon.  

This picture book biography tells Altheas journey with vivid illustrations that capture her personality and drive to become the best during a difficult time in civil rights history.  It took more then skill alone for her to succeed but this well researched book explains her determination to prove to the world that she could become the best regardless of the color of her skin. A great book for middle grade tennis enthusiasts and anyone who wants to learn more about this remarkable woman. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

By
Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.
Post a Comment
Read more

Dragon Run

By
Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013.  336 pgs.  Fantasy      Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life.  He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines.  Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...
1 comment
Read more

Review: Growing Home

By
Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship.  This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...
Post a Comment
Read more