Sports fiction
Basketball, football, soccer, baseball, wrestling, boxing, swimming, hockey, dog mushing - it's all here.
Alphin, Elaine Marie
Perfect Shot 2005
This mystery about the murder of high school student Brian’s girlfriend features lots of basketball action.
Brashares, Anne
*Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1991
Bridget flirts with her coach at soccer camp. She’s one of the four friends who share the traveling pants.
Coleman, Evelyn
Born in Sin 2001
Keisha resents being thrown into a summer program for “at-risk” youth. But she discovers she has a natural talent for swimming.
Courtenay, Bryce
Power of One v 2005
A boxing story set in South Africa at the beginning of World War II.
Coy, John
Crackback 2005
Football used to be fun. Now there’s too much pressure and his best friend is pushing steroids.
Crutcher, Chris
*Whale Talk 2001
TJ, a multiracial teen, shuns the jocks at his high school but then agrees to form a swimming team.
de la Peña, Matt
Ball Don’t Lie 2005
Basketball is Sticky’s life – and his ticket out. Features detailed basketball action – both street and regulation.
Gotto, Ray
Cotton Woods 1991
The baseball "natural" shows his stuff in this full-color comic book.
Henry, Sue
*Murder on the Iditarod Trail 1991
It’s one thousand miles from Anchorage to Nome in the grueling Iditarod—a dog sled race.
Hughes, Pat
Open Ice 2005
Should Nick’s third concussion be the end of his hockey career? What… not play hockey?
Jenkins, A. J.
Out of Order 2003
He’s cocky, and good at a lot of things, including baseball. But all is not as it seems.
Klass, David
California Blue 1994
Much to his father’s disappointment, seventeen-year-old John prefers track to football. To complicate things, John discovers an unknown species of butterfly in the redwoods, which causes conflict in his logging town.
Klass, David
Home of the Braves 2002
A hot shot soccer player from Brazil invades Joe’s territory—on the field and in matters of romance.
Lynch, Chris
Inexcusable 2005
High school senior and football player Keir is accused of date rape.
Malamud, Bernard
*The Natural 1952
The classic baseball story.
Marino, Alfred
Pinned 2005
Two high school students who come from very different worlds reach the State finals in this detailed story about wrestling.
Myers, Walter Dean
*Slam! 1996
Slam is banking on his basketball skill to be his ticket to financial success.
Murphy, Claire
Free Radical 2002
Luke, a baseball player, learns his mother is wanted by the FBI for her role in the death of a student during an anti-Vietnam War protest thirty years ago. Set in Fairbanks, Alaska and, more locally, at the Santa Rita jail.
Nishiyama, Yuriko
Rebound 2003-
Translated from the Japanese. A manga series about a basketball team.
Peet, Mal
Keeper 2003
Detailed descriptions of the art of goalkeeping integrated into a story about environmental awareness.
Peters, Julie Anne
Far from Xanadu 2005
Mike makes the all-state softball team, but struggles with her feelings for the new girl in town. Mike’s a girl too.
Powell, Randy
Three Clams and an Oyster 2002
Three high school juniors who play flag football dump a teammate who is always drunk or stoned. Now they’re trying to replace him.
Ripslinger, Jon
How I Fell in Love 2003
& Learned To Shoot Free Throws
Danny the Bruiser falls for the Stone Angel.
Trueman, Terry
Cruise Control 2004
Highly successful athlete Paul excels in three sports, but his family life is complicated by his brother’s cerebral palsy.
Volponi, Paul
Black and White 2005
They’re inseparable off the court, and a formidable duo on the court – until they get busted for robbery.
Waltman, Kevin
Learning the Game 2005
Nate and some of his basketball teammates break into a frat house and deal with the consequences.
Zusak, Markus
Fighting Ruben Wolfe 2001
Teenage brothers Ruben and Cameron enter an illegal boxing league. Eventually, they have to fight each other.
Zusak, Markus
Getting the Girl 2001
In this sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Cameron gets the girl – Rube’s ex-girlfriend.
*also available as an audiobook