Inspiring Children’s Books Starring Female Athletes
by Lindsay Barrett
As a parent of five kids, I’m constantly looking for outlets for everyone’s energy. Sports are a big part of that — both the organized kind and the “Go outside and play something … NOW” kind. With three boys and two girls in our family who love playing every sport imaginable, I want my kids to know that gender isn’t a limitation in athletics. Books about women and girls in sports have been great conversation starters about perseverance, overcoming bias, team play, and the qualities that make a worthy role model. Check out some of our family’s favorite books starring female athletes.
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Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon
Buy from:This story really speaks to kids who are working on understanding the complexities of fairness. (It also gives readers some insight into the intensity of marathon training!) Rules don’t stop Bobbi Gibb and her itch to run the Boston Marathon. She trains hard, wears boys running shoes — since no one makes women’s ones — and jumps into the race disguised as a man. Eventually, other runners convince her to shed her hooded sweatshirt and show the world what she can do. Even though the 1966 race officials wouldn’t recognize her as a participant, young readers definitely see her as a winner.
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We Are Big Time
Buy from:Young readers who love Roller Girl will want to read this basketball-centered graphic novel. When a Muslim girl named Aliya moves to Wisconsin and joins the basketball team, she loves everything about it — except how badly the team stinks. The story follows Aliya and her teammates as they learn to work together, embrace themselves, and have an unforgettable season.
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Women in Sports
Buy from:This board book isn’t just for babies. Older kids (and sports-loving parents) will enjoy reading this to little ones and will learn something, too. The women profiled go beyond the usual sports celebs; the impressive list includes a roller derby champ, dog musher, Ping-Pong player, wheelchair racer, and many more. Plus, the unique doodle-filled artwork is bursting with happy vibes. This is on our list of go-to gifts for new baby girls.
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Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics
Buy from:Lucile “Ludy” Godbold’s powerful strength, long, lean limbs, and relentless work ethic helped her become an Olympic shot put champion. The text’s southern twang and catchy rhythm make for a fun read-aloud. Fair warning, though — once they hear Ludy’s story, expect kids to turn anything spherical into a make-shift shot put as they try to follow in her (long) footsteps.
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Crushing It
Buy from:This debut novel combines soccer, friendship drama, secret poetry, and first crushes. While Mel excels on the soccer field, she feels like her personal life is falling apart. Meanwhile, Mel’s ex-best friend Tori struggles both on the field and off. An anonymous text chain connects the girls and helps heal the rift between them.
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Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams
Buy from:The Williams sisters’ story resonates with children. When they dreamed of becoming tennis stars, Venus and Serena didn’t let others’ biases about their skin color or their tough Compton neighborhood get them down. Their father never stopped believing that they’d grow up to be champions. They held tight to their sisterly devotion even when they became competitors. This title is essential reading to introduce kids to this pair of iconic female athletes.
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How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion
Buy from:Regardless of whether kids have ever tried rock climbing, this autobiography of climbing phenom Ashima Shiraishi impresses young readers with her mental and physical toughness. Ashima Shiraishi began climbing at age 6 and rose to international success in her early teens. The unique art and text get kids thinking about perseverance and (literally) getting back up after each fall.
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Who Is Katie Ledecky?
Buy from:Introduce your young athlete to one of the greatest swimmers of all time. Katie Ledecky has set records and won over twenty gold medals at the Olympics and world championships. Readers of all ages will love learning more about Katie, how she got into swimming, and what drives her to excellence.
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The Heart of the Storm: A Biography of Sue Bird
Buy from:This picture book biography follows celebrated basketball player Sue Bird from a shy kid to being one of the greatest and most inspirational players in the history of the WNBA. By spotlighting Sue's struggles to hone her skills as a team player, readers also see how that hard work helped create a leader both on and off the court.
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Not Playing by the Rules: 21 Female Athletes Who Changed Sports
Buy from:My grandmother, star of her high school basketball and field hockey teams and lifelong advocate for girls’ sports, would have adored reading this book with kids. This collection of mini-bios celebrates women who made a difference in sports from the late 1800s to the present day. It contains many readable and compelling stories, including field hockey, baseball, swimming, running, soccer, and gymnastics. The full-page photos with quotes from each athlete do an excellent job of grabbing kids’ attention, too.
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Tryouts
Buy from:When baseball-loving Al tries out for the middle school team, she doesn’t expect a warm welcome. To her surprise, the coach is thrilled, and she makes the team. But playing on a multi-championship-winning team comes with unique challenges. Al must navigate new dynamics, friendships, and the baseball field to help her team take home another trophy.
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Who Is Chloe Kim?
Buy from:My elementary school kids love the Who HQ Now series for its readability and high-interest topics, and this story of the youngest woman to win a snowboarding Olympic gold medal was a tremendous hit. (Kim was also the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s in a competition, which my second-grader assures me is exceptionally cool.) The teacher in me loves how this book helps kids learn more about nonfiction writing techniques, too. From the stories of Chloe’s parents’ immigration from Korea, how she got started snowboarding, and her rise to fame to explanations of how the sport works, there are many examples of how informational writing should sound.
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Trailblazers: Simone Biles
Buy from:This series is excellent for seasoned chapter book readers who are ready for more content but want their nonfiction reading delivered in short, high-interest sections. Simone’s inspiring story is sprinkled with plenty of relatable anecdotes and background information — perfect for hooking kids on both reading and gymnastics!
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Dancing in the Storm
Buy from:Injuries and illness can quickly derail a young athlete’s passion for their sport. When Kate gets diagnosed with a disease that causes her bones to grow in ways they shouldn’t, her world gets turned upside down. With her future in gymnastics uncertain and a strange new reality to cope with, Kate turns to a pen pal for comfort. This heartfelt novel is based on the author’s own experience with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).
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Roller Girl
Buy from:Fifth-grader Astrid isn’t a professional athlete, or even a real-life one, but that doesn’t make her any less awesome as a heroine. When Astrid watches a roller derby, the fierce women skaters inspire her to sign up for skate camp. The only problem is, her best friend Nicole doesn’t want to join her. This graphic novel does a fantastic job exploring the interplay between sports, relationships with friends, and developing one’s own identity.
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Fast Pitch
Buy from:This book got rave reviews from my baseball-obsessed ten-year-old, who read it cover-to-cover in one day. Shenice is the captain of her fast-pitch softball team, and the sport is in her blood; she comes from a long line of ballplayers. When she hears an upsetting story from an elderly relative about her great-grandfather being unfairly kicked out of the Negro League, she struggles to stay focused on the game. This novel strikes the perfect balance between modern-day sports drama and sports history.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2022 and updated in 2025.