Multicultural Books About Tennis
Guest post by Author Tonya Duncan Ellis
The U.S. Open tennis tournament takes place from August 28 through September 10, and it’s the perfect time to serve up books about tennis to young readers. Playing tennis helps kids become coordinated and agile, stay fit, make friends, think strategically, and learn good sportsmanship. Here are a few multicultural, tennis-focused books to add to your library.
Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl by Megan Reid
Althea Gibson was the quickest, tallest, most fearless athlete in 1940s Harlem. She couldn’t sit still! When she put her mind to it, the fleet-of-foot girl reigned supreme at every sport—stickball with the boys, basketball with the girls, paddle tennis with anyone who would hit with her.
But being the quickest, tallest, most fearless player in Harlem wasn’t enough for Althea. She knew she could be a tennis champion.
Because of segregation, black people weren’t allowed to compete against white people in sports. Althea didn’t care. She just wanted to play tennis against the best athletes in the world. And with skill and determination, she did just that, eventually becoming the first black person—man or woman—to win a trophy at Wimbledon.
Ashe Brothers: How Arthur and Johnnie Changed Tennis Forever by Judy Allen Dodson
In 1968, Arthur Ashe climbed his way to the top of the tennis world in a time filled with racial tension and segregation. But his success didn’t happen without help. Arthur’s close relationship with his younger brother, Johnnie, was key to Arthur becoming the first Black man to break the color barrier in men’s tennis. A layered story full of love, sibling rivalry, and unconditional support, The Ashe Brothers tells the little-known story behind Arthur’s Grand Slam win.
Baby Ballers Venus and Serena Williams by Bernadette Baillie
Before they were serving up grand slam victories, Venus and Serena Williams were just two sisters growing up in Compton, California. Follow along as they go from learning tennis with their dad to winning Wimbledon! Introduce little ones to the lives of two true game changers in this inspiring board book perfect for baby ballers!
Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women’s Sports by Mara Rockliff
Anything Billie Jean did, she did it ALL THE WAY. When she ran, she ran fast. When she played, she played hard. As a top women’s tennis player, Billie Jean fought for fairness in women’s sports, and when she faced off against Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, the most famous tennis match in history, she showed the world that men and women–and boys and girls–are equal on and off the court.
Cam Jensen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery by David A. Adler
Cam and Eric’s gym teacher just had his office walls painted. But Cam notices that the color of his walls isn’t the only difference-his prized tennis trophy is missing! Who could have taken it? Say “click” with Cam as she begins collecting clues to this tricky tennis mystery!
Doubles Trouble by Jake Maddox
Deion wanted to make the traveling tennis team as a singles player but failed. The coach, however, finds a spot for Deion as a doubles player. Deion isn’t so sure about doubles. And he’s definitely not sure about his doubles partner, Dirk, who seems to be the exact opposite of him. Will Deion find a way to stay out of doubles trouble and find success at the net?
Evonne Goolagong (Little People, BIG DREAMS, 36) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Evonne grew up on a hot, dusty farm in Australia. She was the third of eight children, and a descendant of the Wirundjuri people, who have lived on the land for more than 60,000 years. Her talent for tennis was discovered at a local tennis club, and before she knew it, the girl dreaming about the place called “Wimbledon” was playing on the center court.
Sophie Washington: Mismatch by Tonya Duncan Ellis
Sophie Washington just joined the tennis team, and she’s on her way to becoming queen of the court! That is until her coach matches her with class oddball, Mackenzie Clark, and the drama really begins…Mackenzie refuses to talk to Sophie or learn the secret handshake she made up. Sophie just can’t figure her out. Then Mackenzie starts skipping practice and gets sick at school, and Sophie realizes that there’s more to her doubles partner than meets the eye. Can Sophie make things right with Mackenzie before their first big game, or is their partnership a complete mismatch?
Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Howard Bryant
Everyone knows the names, Venus & Serena Williams. They’ve become synonymous with championships, hard work, and with shaking up the tennis world. This inspirational true story, written by award-winning sports journalist, Howard Bryant, and brought to beautiful life by Coretta Scott King Award and Honor winner, Floyd Cooper, details the sisters’ journey from a barely-there tennis court in Compton, CA, to Olympic gold medals and becoming the #1 ranked women in the sport of tennis. Here is a worthy ode to Venus and Serena Williams, the incredible sister duo, who will go down in history as two of the greatest athletes of all time.
About the writer:
TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS is author of the award-winning, 13-book, SOPHIE WASHINGTON children’s chapter series and THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM (HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray, 2024). She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Authors Guild, and the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation-sponsored Amplify Black Stories storyteller cohort. Tonya has spoken and taught at writing conferences at the Highlights Foundation and for SCBWI in New York City and for SCBWI Houston and Austin, TX chapters. She lives in Houston, Texas, and is married with three children. Facebook and Instagram: @tonyaellisbooks; Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
