• Age: 8 to 13
• Grade: 4 to 8
• Reading age: 8 to 13

Discover how 12 Black athletes overcame seemingly impossible odds and insurmountable challenges to achieve their dreams and make a name for themselves in the fields of football, baseball, basketball, tennis, track and field, and gymnastics—a perfect gift for young sports fans and young athletes!

Kids will immerse themselves in the world of sports as they follow iconic figures, from stars of the past to celebrities of today, through the highs and lows of their careers. Young readers will discover the inspirational stories of 12 people—some that they might know and love, and some that they may have never heard of before—all winners in their own right. But this book goes beyond touchdowns and home runs. Each of these figures has overcome many struggles, and kids will learn valuable life lessons from this book’s deeper themes of leadership, perseverance, tenacity, and triumphing over adversity. Featuring stories about:

• Serena Williams and Althea Gibson
• Aaron Judge and Jackie Robinson
• Lebron James and Earl Francis Lloyd
• Russell Wilson and Fritz Pollard
• Simone Biles and Dominque Dawes
• Allyson Felix and Alice Coachman

Sophia Murphy is a freelance writer based in Toronto. While she always dreamed of being a writer, her life took her down a different path. But, after a lengthy career in communications and some time off to raise her children, she found her way back to her first love. Sophia holds a BA with honors in English literature from Carleton University and is in the process of writing the book of her dreams. She loves superhero movies, detective mysteries, and old-school cartoons. When she’s not writing or reading, you can find her singing along to her favorite songs or in a fierce board game competition with her husband and two boys.

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