Dearest, dearest editors/publishers/agents/writers:
Where are the Matt Christopher books for girls? Where’s the girls’ Mike Lupica?
Where is the awesome middle-grade girls’ series about friends who play soccer/ice skate/play field hockey/shoot hoops? Where’s the stereotypical girls’ sports series, for that matter? Most days I’d give my left arm for a fair-to-middling book about short girls on a gymnastics team.
Horse books are coming back, it seems, but there just aren’t sports books for girls. (Things like DAIRY QUEEN don’t count. That book isn’t about SPORTS, it’s about D.J.) I am so tired of having to tell girls that no, there just isn’t a great book about a girl who plays lacrosse (or fill in the blank with whatever sport you want to). And even if there is one terrific book about an ice skater, that’s it – there’s just one.
I love fantasy, and I love fluff, and I love gritty real-life stuff, but I need sports books to sell. (For that matter, I need more sports books for elementary kids, period, not just girls – could someone please do a series about a t-ball team? Something like ROSCOE RILEY RULES but with soccer? Something?)
If you can think of anything, please let me know. I’m really not looking for a girls’ book where one of the characters just happens to play something – I’m looking for books where the sport is a major plot point. (I already know about MIRACLE ON WHATEVER STREET, the Lupica with the girl on the cover.) And honestly, it’s the elementary and middle-grade girls coming in looking for books about girls playing sports – teen girls have mostly moved on to Edward Cullen.
Sports, please? Any sports? Something like ANIMAL ARK (SPORTS ARK? just kidding) but with a different sport in each book? Something like BEACON STREET GIRLS, but about a middle-school traveling soccer team? Something like CANTERWOOD CREST, but with gymnastics?
Girls need sports books too!
April 5th, 2009 - 9:06 pm
PrettyTOUGH by Liz Tigelaar is a great soccer story for girls. She has another one Playing with the Boys (I think) but I haven’t read that one.
There was a great middle grade series called the Gymnasts when I was growing up. It’s super out of print, but I loved those books.
I’d like a few more sports books for teen boys that aren’t about team hazing or steroids.
April 6th, 2009 - 6:23 am
Donna King has a half-dozen sports books that have come out in the past two years, each covering a different sport. That’s a paperback not-exactly-series for upper middle grade that I’ve been ordering for my library.
Beyond that, No Cream Puffs, by Day; Throwing Like a Girl, by Weezie Kerr Mackey; The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, by Mick Cochrance; Boost, by Katheryn Mackel (haven’t read that one yet). It’s true, there’s not a lot.
April 6th, 2009 - 6:31 am
In the ’90s (I think), Tessa Duder had a series about a swimmer. New Zealander, I think, thus maybe they were only published down here.
Lisa Forrest’s first novel was also about a swimmer, but an Australian. Can’t remember the title, though; sorry.
April 7th, 2009 - 7:08 pm
Did you check out Justine Larbalestier’s HOW TO DITCH YOUR FAIRY? It is a fantasy, but it’s set at a sports magnet school and everyone is an awesome jock and their sports are a big part of the story. Also, very middle-school friendly.
April 12th, 2009 - 7:42 pm
I am glad am reading this on a Sunday because you’re straight preaching. If you seed out a petition to the powers that be, I’ll sign it. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies was very good. I am tired of girls just being secondary characters on boy sport books. Or hearing of a great series from the 90’s. Really? Its 2009 you’d think publishers would release more sports books featuring girls. I always feel like crap when a girl comes to bookstore right from soccer field with cleats and all, looking for a sports book and I’ve got nothing.
But heres one to look forward to a new YA author Bobbie Pyron has a book slated to come out later this year The Ring, about a female boxer.
April 16th, 2009 - 6:57 am
Me again. Another author who’s done some recent girl-oriented, upper-MG sports books is Dawn Fitzgerald. My library has Getting in the Game and Soccer Chick Rules.
July 22nd, 2009 - 10:23 pm
Hi there Melissa – I’m not sure what you mean by “middle-grade” but there’s a series in Australia called “Go Girl” which has sporty girls as the norm – not being ostracised, not being treated as weird. My 7yo can read them so maybe they’re a bit young for what you’re looking for, but here’s what looks like an official site – http://gogirlhq.com/home/default.asp
(check out Lunchtime Rules for an example).