Brown, Daniel James The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American 
Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics
Middle school, high school     226 pp.     Viking

Adapted by Gregory Mone. Overcoming a difficult childhood, Joe Rantz made the freshman crew team at the University of Washington. There, he met equally determined boys and a coach driven to take the gold at the Olympics in Hitler's Germany. Each team member is profiled; the sport of rowing becomes comprehensible and compelling. This adaptation of the adult bestseller is liberally illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Timeline. Bib., ind.
Subjects: Sports; Vehicles—Boats and boating; Olympics; Sports—Rowing

Davis, Mo'ne Mo'ne Davis: Remember My Name: My Story from First Pitch to Game Changer
Gr. 4–6, middle school   191 pp.     HarperCollins/Harper

With Hilary Beard. Sports phenom Davis (then seven) was recruited by a boys' travel team for baseball, basketball, and soccer. Now fifteen — and impressively grounded — she describes her path to becoming "the first girl to throw a shutout in the Little League Baseball World Series…the youngest athlete to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated," and other accolades. Straightforward (if slightly repetitive) text is authentic-sounding and inspirational.
Subjects: Sports—Baseball; Sports—Basketball; Sports—Soccer; Women—Biographies; Women—Autobiographies; Autobiographies; African Americans; Women—African Americans; Children’s writing; Athletes; Women—Athletes; Davis, Mo'ne

McCully, Emily Arnold Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story
Gr. K–3     32 pp.     Farrar/Ferguson

In the early twentieth century, Lizzie Murphy parlays her love for baseball into a successful career. At eighteen, she seizes an opportunity to play professional ball, where she draws crowds more because of her gender than her considerable skill. She's denied a salary until she fights for equal pay. Impressionistic ink and watercolor illustrations subtly depict Lizzie as being slightly different from the crowd. Bib.
Subjects: Sports; Sports—Baseball; Women—Athletes; Biographies; Women—Biographies; Murphy, Lizzie; Gender roles

Meltzer, Brad I Am Jackie Robinson
Gr. K–3     40 pp.     Dial

Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. Ordinary People Change the World series. In this entertaining picture-book biography, a chatty first-person narration relates events, both traumatic and triumphant, in the life of the first African American player in all-white Major League Baseball. Comic strip–style illustrations extend the story and add to the book's reluctant- and struggling-reader appeal. Archival photographs are included on the end pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib.
Subjects: Sports; Robinson, Jackie; Sports—Baseball; African Americans; Race relations; Prejudices; Biographies

Morgan, Alex Breakaway: Beyond the Goal
Middle school, high school    289 pp.      Simon

With Sarah Durand. U.S. Women's National Soccer Team superstar Morgan shares her story as well as tips for "setting goals and embracing your passions." Her passion was evident at age eight, when she declared her goal to be a professional soccer player. The narrative includes struggles but stresses the importance of a positive attitude. Morgan's fans will have plenty to embrace with this inside look into her world.
Subjects: Sports; Morgan, Alex; Sports—Soccer; Women—Autobiographies; Women—Biographies; Autobiographies; Biographies; Women—Athletes

From the January 2016 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.