Whether your reader is a sportsman or just a fan, these books celebrate a wide cross section of the athletic endeavor so that any reader-athlete has something to enjoy. And even if your child is not a sports fan, it should be noted that sports stories often bring a lot of fun and excitement to the nature of games and competitions, so one of these lessons may be a good move beyond their comfort zone. Here are the best sports books for kids of all ages.
(Just a warning, WeAreTeachers may collect a portion of the sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items that our team likes!)
Preschool and kindergarten
1. National Geographic Kids Sports Sticker Activity Book
In this interactive sticker book, young children interested in games and competitions will be introduced to a cross section of different sports. It is full of information and history about a variety of sports — from traditional team games to extreme activities.
Buy it: Sports Sticker Activity Book on Amazon
2. Goodnight Hockey by Michael Dahl, illustrated by Christina Forsche
If your little one is attracted to the rink, this sweet rhyming board book will make their hockey dream come true.
Buy it: Goodnight Hockey on Amazon
3. Illustrated by Michael Dahl’s Goodnight Soccer, Christina Forsche
One of Sports Illustrated’s Goodnight sports books, this fascinating photo book is a bedtime story for football lovers, celebrating the world’s most popular game on every page.
Buy it: Goodnight Soccer on Amazon
4. CC Joven’s basketball break, illustrated by Alex Lopez
This introductory lesson gives young basketball players a lesson about not being ball hogs and is also great for building early lesson skills.
Buy it: Basketball Break on Amazon
Early primary / independent reader
5. Big book by WHO All-Star by Sports Illustrated Kids
If your sports-loving child is about the greatest, then this Sports Illustrated Round-up must know 128 page names for each game. Great for kids who collect sports information just like others collect trading cards.
Buy it: WHO All-Star’s big book on Amazon
6. Beastly Basketball by Lauren Amanda Johnson, portrayed by Eduardo Garcia
When Joe’s kung fu studio closed, he brought his training to court, teaching his ragtag new basketball team the discipline he had learned in martial arts.
Buy it: Beastly Basketball on Amazon
7. 8-bit baseball by Brandon Terrell, illustrated by Eduardo Ferrer
In this graphic novel, Jared Richards loses a bet and has to stop playing baseball video games and start playing in real life. But after a surprising success on the field, he encountered an error in reality and technology.
Buy this: 8-bit baseball on Amazon
8. What is the Stanley Cup? Illustrated by Gayle Herman, by Gregory Copeland
One of the best sports books for hockey-loving kids, this guide to everything about the National Hockey League Championship Series explains how Stanley Cup finals work and their history from the very beginning. (Did you know that the Stanley Cup is now the oldest sports trophy in the world ?!)
Buy it: What is the Stanley Cup? Amazon
Twin from Older Elementary
9. Matt Christopher’s The Kid Who Only hit Homers
Matt Christopher is the king of children’s baseball novels. In one of his most well-known attempts, baseball-lover Sylvester magically hits home runs from a strike out — but his new ability forces him to think about what makes a good teammate.
Buy it: The Kid Who Only Hit Homers on Amazon
10. BMX Breakthrough by Carl Bowen and Benny Fuentes, illustrated by Gerardo Sandoval
In this sports illustrated graphic novel, BMX Bike Riders see themselves in a role in the story of a BMX biker who has to regain his courage after an injury.
Buy it: BMX breakthrough on Amazon
11. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
This Newbery Honor graphic novel celebrates the roller derby, as well as the importance of creating the best path for you. A great lesson for those who are about to enter high school.
Buy it: Roller Girl on Amazon
12. Football genius by Tim Green
Troy White is a child who can predict before football games — any team, any game — and when his mother gets a job with the Atlanta Falcons, she will do whatever it takes to use her gifts.
Buy it: Soccer Genius on Amazon
13. Being Mohammed Ali by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson
The story of the origin of boxing legend Mohammad Ali has come to life in this fascinating book written about his early life with the full cooperation of his family property.
Buy it: Being Mohammad Ali on Amazon
14. Ghost of Jason Reynolds (Track Book 1)
The first book in Jason Reynolds’ track quartet follows Ghost, the fastest sprinter on his team who must adapt to his past if he wants to reach the Junior Olympics.
Buy it: Ghosts on Amazon
15. Swimming team by Johnny Christmas
In this graphic novel, the reluctant swimmer Brie is inspired by an elderly neighbor and eventually becomes his high school hope to reach the state championships.
Buy it: Swimming team on Amazon
16. Eva-Mary Palmer’s Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook, illustrated by Martha Casey
In the first of the three-book series, never-losing pitcher Gabby Garcia wants to keep his winning streak alive — and he has to make the right play to do so when he suddenly has to switch to middle school.
Buy it: Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook on Amazon
High school and up
17. Chris Bosch’s letter to a young athlete
NBA Hall of Famer (as well as 11-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist) Chris Bosch shortened his career due to a strange treatment, but it did not remove him from the sport. In this book, he evaluates what qualities and traits are often seen among the best athletes and gives his best advice for kids to navigate the sporting life এবং and life in general.
Buy it: A letter to a young athlete on Amazon
18. Furi by Yamil Saeed Mendez
An Argentine girl lives a dual life — one playing football as Fourier, the other trying to please her narrow mother and the other avoiding her angry father — in this award-winning contemporary novel.
Buy it: Furia on Amazon
19. No Stopping Us Now by Lucy Jane Bladeso
This semi-autobiographical novel is an inspirational lesson in history and perseverance for a group of young female basketball players fighting for a team of their own in 1974 (just after passing Title IX).
Buy it: Amazon is not stopping us now
20. Like other girls by Britta Lundin
Mara, a lesbian, when she realizes she has some normal footballing abilities and wants to go out for the team, sees her work as a political statement that attracts girls who can’t really play like her – including her crush.
Buy it: Like other girls on Amazon