Rising above Inspiring women in sports Inspiring women in sports /

Review by Booklist Review

In this companion to Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars (2016), the authors turn their attention to 11 more athletes, this time all woman, who also rose above adversity to become standouts in their fields. With the exception of Wilma Rudolph, the featured women are current or recent stars. Numerous quotes from interviews and primary sources lend a conversational tone to the quick, easy-to-read profiles. As students read about Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who was raised by loving grandparents after her addict mother lost custody; Grand Slam tennis champs Venus and Serena Williams, who learned to play amid gunshots in their rough Los Angeles neighborhood; and pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm at age 13 to a shark attack, they'll discover that even stars have suffered from gender inequality, poverty, racism, body shaming, bulimia, bullying, self-doubt, and other relatable problems. What will inspire athletes of any ability or gender is how these women turned to help when needed and learned to accept themselves inside and out.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-8-The second book in the "Rising Above" series focuses on famous woman athletes who achieved greatness while overcoming personal and professional challenges. Zuckerman, coauthoring with his two sons, writes about 10 U.S. athletes dealing with a variety of challenges, including medical issues, racism, and loss. Each chapter shares the athletes' backgrounds, early experiences, and achievements. The profiles span multiple eras (1960s great Wilma Rudolph, 2016 Olympian Simone Biles) and a variety of sports, from tennis to mixed martial arts. The pieces are substantial and include specific incidents; for example, Serena Williams's Indian Wells tournament experience in 2001, where she was booed by racist spectators. There is also a welcome focus on overcoming body image challenges; while certainly not unique to women, it is not often spotlighted as an obstacle to athletic success. Features on arguably lesser-known athletes, such as WBNA stars Elena Delle Donne and Swin Cash, are a nice change of pace for young readers looking for examples of positive role models. VERDICT A varied and inspiring collection of sports biographies for middle school library collections.-Casey O'Leary, Mooresville Public Library, IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

This accessibly written collection presents accounts of eleven female athletes who overcame a range of obstacles, from unstable early childhoods (gymnast Simone Biles) to chronic illness (basketball player Elena Delle Donne) to devastating injury (surfer Bethany Hamilton). However, the challenges are disproportional, equating soccer powerhouse Carli Lloyd's demoralizing penalty-kick miss, for instance, with Wilma Rudolph's childhood of enduring poverty, racism, and polio. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A reader does not have to be a sports fan to be inspired by these compelling minibiographies of athletes who conquered considerable adversities to realize great achievements.Neglected by a single mother with alcohol and drug addictions, Simone Biles went to live with her grandparents and discovered balance beams and gymnastics mats, which set her on the path to Olympic glory. Serena and Venus Williams overcame racial barriers to become tennis legends. Elena Delle Donne battled Lyme disease while working to become a star WNBA player. Bethany Hamilton continued her career as a professional surfer after losing her left arm in a shark attack. The Zuckermans close with the dramatic story of gymnast Kerri Strug, who, despite a severe injury, executed a gold medal-winning performance in the 1996 Olympics that made her a national sports hero. Other athletes profiled include Mo'ne Davis, Carli Lloyd, Wilma Rudolph, Ronda Rousey, and Swin Cash. Whether it was racism, humiliation for their unique body types, or serious medical issues, all the athletes profiled overcame their imposing obstacles through fierce determination and, the Zuckermans are careful to note, with the help of coaches, counselors, mentors, and therapists. They all refused to blame others for their difficulties and accepted responsibility for their successes and setbacks, a lesson that is delivered firmly and naturally. An inspiring, empowering collection of true stories of perseverance and resolve. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Carli Lloyd   After 120 grueling minutes of play, the score remained tied at 2-2. The final match in the 2011 Women's World Cup would come down to penalty kicks to decide the winner. A palpa­ble tension filled the stadium as the US and Japanese soccer teams retreated to their benches to prepare for the shootout. Carli Lloyd and her American teammates felt the pressure building.   The US team had endured a difficult journey to get to the finals. They were nearly knocked out in a quar­terfinals match against Brazil, surviving after tying the match in the 122nd minute and then winning on penalty kicks in one of most riveting games in the his­tory of the Women's World Cup.   It had been twelve years since the US Women's National Team had reached the finals. Carli knew a single goal could make the difference. She had been benched during the early matches of the World Cup but she knew this was the perfect opportunity to solid­ify her spot on the team and become an instant legend.   Carli approached the penalty box, preparing for her shot.   "All these mixed emotions are going through your head," she says.   Does the goalkeeper know where you're going? Do you hit it harder or softer?   Focused, Carli approached the ball hard and blasted a powerful shot toward the middle of the goal. The goalkeeper dove to her right, leaving an opening close to the top of the goal, exactly where Carli was aiming. For a moment, it looked like her shot would find net and Carli would be a hero.   Glancing up, however, Carli watched in horror as the ball soared high over the crossbar, badly missing its target. Carli stared ahead, almost in disbelief, cupped her mouth with her left hand, and quietly walked back to join her teammates. The US Women's National Team had lost to Japan, extending their trophy drought.   For days, Carli was dejected and depressed.   "It was a really tough thing to go through," she said. "I felt kind of like a failure, felt like I let the team down . . . I was pretty devastated."   It was the lowest moment of Carli's life, an expe­rience that would have completely demoralized many players and even ended some careers.   Somehow, Carli would have to find a way to turn this major setback into something more positive. Excerpted from Rising above: Inspiring Women in Sports All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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