Sports

Baseball Fiction

Brooks, Bruce. Throwing Smoke
When his teammates on the baseball team continue to lose , Whiz uses an unusual printing press to create several star players in hopes of winning a game.

Cohen, Barbara. Thank you, Jackie Robinson.
A boy who loves the Brooklyn Dodgers and first baseman, Jackie Robinson, takes a ball autographed by Jackie to his friend's death bed.

Corbett, Sue. Free Baseball.
Felix takes advantage of an opportunity to become bat boy for a minor league baseball team, hoping to someday be like his father, a famous Cuban outfielder.

Cox, William Robert. Battery Mates
Two members of a baseball team deal with hostilities from their own teammates, interschool rivalries, romance, and the tensions prior to a championship game.

Deuker, Carl. High Heat
When Shane's father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher's life of affluence and private school begins to fall apart.

Deuker, Carl. Painting the Black.
When star athlete Josh moves in across the street, Ryan doesn't realize how much his life will change during his senior year in high school.

Dygard, Thomas. The Rookie Arrives
Ted Bell goes from high school to playing in the major leagues and finds that he has a lot to learn before becoming the world's greatest third baseman.

Farrell, Mame. Bradley and the Billboard
When 13 year old Brad, a baseball hero, gets a job as a fashion model, he must come to terms with his ideas of what it is to be a real guy.

Gault, William Campbell. Trouble at Second.
A young team captain determines that his team will have a championship season despite the problems caused by the new hot-headed rookie.

Gutman, Dan. Honus and Me
Joey, who loves baseball but is not very good at it, finds a valuable 1909 Honus Wagner card and travels back in time to meet Honus.

Green, Tim. Baseball Great.
All Josh wants to do is play baseball but when his father, a minor league pitcher, signs him up for a youth championship team, Josh finds himself embroiled in a situation with potentially illegal consequences.

Lipsyte, Robert. Jock and Jill
Jack Ryder, aspiring baseball star, meets Jillian, a girl who makes him reevaluate all his priorities.

Lord, Bette. In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson
In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball.

Lupica, Mike. Heat
Michael is on the run from social services after being banned from playing baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve and he has no proof.

Lupica, Mike. The Big Field.
When Hutch feels threatened by the arrival of a new teammate named Darryl, he tries to work through his insecurities about both Darryl and his remote and silent father, who was once a great ballplayer too.

Lynch, Chris. Gold Dust
Richard befriends a Caribbean newcomer to his school, hoping that he will learn to love baseball and win acceptance in the racially polarized Boston school.

Mercado, Nancy. Baseball Crazy
Stories about the love of baseball, fear of baseball, and everything in between.

Patneaude, David. Haunting at Third.
After hearing that their baseball field is haunted, Nelson and his teammates start finding messages written in the dirt.

Rallison, Jannette. Playing the Field
McKay tries to keep up his algebra grade to stay on the baseball team, while dealing with his attraction to a girl named Serena.

Ritter, John H. The Boy Who Saved Baseball
The owner of a good part of Dillontown and its baseball field decides to sell.

Rud, Jeff. High and Inside.
Twelve-year-old Matt must learn to face a high and inside pitch while dealing with allegiances to friends and doing the right thing.

Slote, Alfred. Hang Tough, Paul Mather
A baseball pitcher with an incurable blood disease is determined to get in as much time on the mound as possible.

Smith, Robert Kimmel. Bobby Baseball
Bobby wants to pitch, but his coach puts him on second base instead.

Stolz, Mary. Coco Grimes.
Thomas talks his grandfather into driving to meet Coco Grimes, who remembers Negro League baseball, but the actual encounter proves to be bittersweet.

Tooke, Wes. Lucky
Louis sees his opportunity to be bat boy for the 1961 Yankees team as the perfect way to escape the problems of his father's remarriage and moving to the suburbs.

Tunis, John. World Series
Roy Tucker joins the rest of his Dodger teammates in a come-from-behind battle for the series title.

Wallace, Rich. Southpaw.
After moving following his parents' divorce, Jimmy Fleming tries out for the baseball team while also trying cope with his new life and dealing with his father.

Weaver, Will. Striking Out
Since the death of his brother Billy Baggs has had a distant relationship with his father, but life on their farm in begins to change when he starts to play baseball.

Zinnen, Linda. Holding At Third
When Matt's brother moves to a different hospital to receive cancer treatment, Matt tries to adjust to a new home, school, and new baseball team.

Zirpoli, Jane. Roots in the Outfield
Criticized by his baseball teammates for being afraid of the ball, Josh goes to live with his father in Milwaukee where he becomes entangled in a mystery.


Basketball Fiction

Brooks, Bruce. The Moves Make the Man.
A black boy and an emotionally troubled white boy in North Carolina form a precarious friendship.

Cooper, Ilene. Choosing Sides
Jonathan doesn't want his father to think he's a quitter, but middle school basketball is turning out to be anything but fun.

Deuker, Carl. On the Devil’s Court.
Struggling with his feelings of inadequacy and his failure to make the team in his new school, Joe Faust finds himself willing to trade his soul for one perfect season of basketball.

Dixon, Franklin. Slam Dunk Sabotage.
The team is headed to the championship basketball game, but somebody wants to knock them out of contention by getting the Hardys out of the way.

Dygard, Thomas. Outside Shooter.
A high school basketball star's personality problems threaten not only his own career but the success of the whole team.

Feinstein, John. Last Shot.
Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are aspiring journalists and winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association 14-and-under writing contest.

Gutman, Dan. The Million Dollar Shot.
Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.

Harkrader, Lisa. Airball: My Life in Briefs.
Uncoordinated Kirby braves his coach's ire and becomes captain of the basketball team in order to help him prove that NBA star Brett McGrew is his father .

Keith, Harold. Brief Garland.
Dismayed when he is assigned an all-girl basketball team, the new coach becomes increasingly committed to his players as he works with them.

Klass, David. Danger Zone.
When he joins a predominately black basketball team which will represent the U.S. in a basketball tournament, a boy discovers prejudice, racism and politics.

Krech, Bob. Rebound.
Determined to make the varsity basketball team, Ray finds his efforts to play both hindered and helped by the atmosphere of racism in his town.

Lupica, Mike. Travel Team
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--Danny forms his own team of cast-offs.

Maddox, Jake. Free Throw.
Since Derek is the tallest player on his team, the coach decides to have him play center but Jason, the former center, has little confidence in Derek and will not pass him the ball.

Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops.
A player from Harlem is befriended by a former pro who, after quitting because of a scandal, hopes to prevent other athletes from repeating his mistake.

Myers, Walter Dean. Slam
A 17 year old boy is counting on his basketball talent to get him out of the inner city but his coach sees things differently.

Parker, Robert. Edenville Owls.
Bobby finds himself facing challenges as he tries to pull together his coachless team and discover the identity of the mysterious stranger.

Rud, Jeff. In the Paint.
Twelve-year-old Matt Hill struggles to make the basketball team in his new school while keeping out of trouble.

Russo, Mirasabina. House of Sports
Jim cares only about basketball but Hhs pleasure in winning a spot on the traveling team dims when his grades drop and his grandmother becomes ill.

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. The Hoopster
A teenager who loves to play basketball, is happy about his summer internship at a magazine, but his life is unexpectedly changed by a random act of violence.

Soto, Gary. Taking Sides.
An aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood.

Telander, Rick. String Music.
An unlikely friendship develops between a lonely boy and the professional basketball star whom he idolizes.

Tunis, John R. Go, Team, Go!
When a player from an overconfident team is expelled for gambling and the others penalized for breaking training, they angrily quit the basketball varsity team.

Volponi, Paul. Black and White
Two high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

Wallace, Rich. Technical Foul
Jared, a high-scoring member of the Hudson City Middle School basketball team, gets angry when the point guard accuses him of being responsible for their string of losses, but finally realizes they can win only if he becomes a team player.

Football Fiction

Attanas, John. Eddie and the Jets
Eddie’s father moves out, his football team is not coming together, he likes his best friend's sister, and his friends think he's a jerk.

Bee, Clare. Fiery Fullback.
Chip Hilton, all-American, struggles to restore harmony in State University's football team after Greg Hansen, a divisive new player, joins their roster.

Blessing, Richard. A Passing Season
Growing up in a town where football is everything, Craig Warren tries to resolve his growing towards playing on the team and making football the center of his life.

Cheripko, Jan. IMITATE THE TIGER
A high school football star has to face his drinking problem after his grades drop, his girlfriend leaves him, and his Aunt is ready to kick him out of the house.

Christopher, Matt. Various titles.

Cochran, Thomas. Roughnecks.
Travis Cody prepares for the final game of his high school football career, a rematch with his school's chief rival.

Cox, William Robert. Third and Goal
After finally gaining his parents' permission to join the Bombers football team, Rafael Cortez must overcome his teammates' prejudice against Chicanos.

Coy, John. Crackback.
Miles is sidelined by a new coach, constantly criticized by his father, and pressured by his best friend to take performance-enhancing drugs.

Deuker, Carl. Gym Candy
Mick Johnson works hard for a spot on the varsity team his freshman year, then tries to hold onto his edge by using steroids, despite the consequences to his health and social life.

Dygard, Thomas. Backfield Package and other titles
The decision of four high school friends to go to the same college so that they can continue playing football together is shaken when one of them begins to receive attention as a star quarterback.

Feinstein, John. Cover-up.
Every player on a professional football team--which is supposed to play in the Super Bowl--has failed their drug test and the owner has covered up the results. Can two teen reporters prove it?

Gault, William Campbell. Super Bowl Bound.
A talented young quarterback is caught between a father who opposes football for a very personal reason and an enthusiastic grandfather who thrives on it.

Green, Tim. Football Genius.
Troy, who has an unusual gift for predicting football plays before they occur, attempts to use his ability to help his favorite team, but he must first prove himself to the coach and players.

Halecroft, David. Breaking Loose.
Star football player Matt Greene is pressured by his all-pro father, which may cost the Panthers their perfect record.

Korman, Gordon. The Zucchini Warriors
Roommates find obstacles in their way as they attempt to lead their team to a victorious football season and earn the reward of a new recreation center.

Lee, Marie G. Necessary Roughness.
Chan moves to a small town in Minnesota, where he must cope not only with racism on the football team but also his relationship with his strict father.

Sorenson, Margo. Funny Man
Derrick's days as class clown come to an end when his goofing off threatens his position on the school's football team.

Wallace, Rich. Emergency Quarterback and other titles.
When the Hornets lose their quarterback for the season and the replacement lacks the talent to take charge, the coach picks a solid receiver as emergency quarterback.

Walters, Eric. Juice.
Coach Barnes, whose determination to obtain a college post rested on his ability to create a division one high school team, distributes steroids to his team.

On order for fall 2008

Brouwer, Sigmund. Cobra Strike.
High school football player Ray Linden, puts his future in peril when he learns his small coal-mining town is in danger from a toxic threat.

Carter, Alden. Love, Football and Other Contact Sports
Short stories about various members of a football team.

Green, Tim. Football Hero.
When Ty’s brother gets on a professional team, his uncle, a gambler, tries to get inside information to place bets.

Wallace, Rich. Losing is not an Option.