Five Faves: Uncoventional Sports Stories

When you hear someone mention sports, you probably think of basketball, baseball, or soccer. But there is a whole world of sports and athletics that are not your typical "something-ball" sports. If you or your child likes sports stories and wants stories about sports we don't always talk about, here's a list of sports stories that stray from the conventional.

Team Park

By Angela Ahn

Toronto: Tundra, 2024. Fiction. 233 pages.

Evan doesn’t do well at team sports, much to his dad’s chagrin. But while healing from a broken wrist, his physical therapist suggests training for the Dominator Ninja competition. Evan seems to have found his thing when he sprains his wrist. Suggested by his sister, he gets his family to join the team “Soiled Pants” obstacle course to compete together.

Learning to Fall

By Sally Engelfried

New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Fiction. 268 pages.

Daphne is stuck with her dad for the summer while her mom films a movie in Prague. She and her dad used to be close until his alcoholism and inability to show up for her led to a skateboarding accident. Now her dad is in recovery and trying to mend the relationship, but it may take their shared love of skateboarding to help the two bond.

Hands

By Torrey Maldonado

New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023. Fiction. 135 pages.

Trev has taken up boxing, hoping that he will be able to protect his mom and sisters from his step-father, who is returning home after two years in jail for hitting Trev’s mom. His new-found strength gives him confidence, but also makes him reckless. After an accident leaves a window broken and a boy scared, he looks to male role-models for example of positive masculinity.

Tumble

By Celia Pérez

New York: Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2022. Fiction. 352 pages.

Adela’s step-father has just asked to legally adopt her. However, this gesture just makes her wonder more about her absent biological father. Adela investigates and finds that her paternal family are the famous Bravo family, a family of luchadors. She grows to know and love her biological family, but what will she do now they’re in the picture?

Into the Ring

By Steph Mided

New York: Harper Alley, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Comic. 220 pages.

The new principal at Custard Creek Middle School has banned all extracurriculars except for football and cheer squad, including Sashsa’s gaming club. When they discover the school nurse is a pro-wrestler, they decide the costumes and theatrics of pro-wrestling could be a way to express themselves in a way sanctioned by the athletics-loving principal.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Review: Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...

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