Just Do It: Sports Reads for High School

High School Fiction

  • Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 2007.
    Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
  • Calame, Don. Swim the Fly. 2009.
    In order to impress the superhot new girl, 15-year-old Matt agrees to swim the dreaded butterfly at championships. A summertime pact with his buddies, Coop and Sean, brings the trio nothing but trouble and humiliation.
  • Cohen, Joshua. Leverage. 2011.
    When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation.
  • Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. 2010.
    Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel.
  • Gratz, Alan. Samurai Shortstop. 2006.
    Growing up in 1890s Tokyo, after the samurai tradition of his ancestors was outlawed, Toyo was not trained in the old disciplines. He must find his own path between the old and new ways, symbolized by the sport he loves: baseball.
  • Headley, Justina Chen. Girl Overboard. 2008.
    Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is a billionaire and she has everything any kid could possibly desire. However, as Syrah reveals in her manga journal, most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold.
  • Hornby, Nick. Slam. 2007.
    After being the star of his Harlem high school team, 17-year-old Greg has to learn to fit in and be a team player at his new school. The rest of his life may be falling apart, but when he gets onto the basketball court, "Slam" feels in control.
  • Hughes, Pat. Open Ice. 2005.
    Hockey is more than Nick's favorite sport—it's the very framework of his life. So when his physician, coach and family all agree, following his fourth concussion, that the 16-year-old star should stop playing the game, it means major upheaval.
  • Krech, Bob. Rebound. 2006.
    White kids don't play basketball at Franklin High School, but Ray has a passion for the sport. A new coach gives Ray a chance to play, but now he has to deal with the team's high scorer, a kid who hates Ray simply because he's white.
  • Lipsyte, Robert. Raiders Night. 2006.
    At Nearmont High School, football stars are treated like royalty, and Matt just ascended the throne. If he can keep his eye on the ball now, his future will be set. But when the team turns on one of its own, should Matt play by Raiders rules?
  • Luper, Eric. Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto. 2010.
    With every relationship Seth cares about imploding, he decides to start an anonymous podcast called "The Love Manifesto," exploring what love is, why love is and why we're stupid enough to keep going back for more.
  • McKissack, Fredrick. Shooting Star. 2009.
    Jomo Rodgers is a talented, if somewhat undersized, defensive back on his high school's football team. After much hesitation, Jomo decides to take the steroid route to fame, with tragic results for himself, his team and those he loves.
  • Norris, Shana. Troy High. 2009.
    In this retelling of Homer's "The Iliad," Cassie, a shy outsider who fears an epic high school rivalry is about to go up in flames, tells the story of the Trojans and Spartans as they declare war on the football field.
  • Pena, Matt de la. Mexican White Boy. 2008.
    Biracial Danny Lopez feels like an outsider with his Mexican father's family and at his mostly white school. He also struggles with his obsession for baseball. But the support of a new friend helps Danny begin to deal with his problems.
  • Smith, Jennifer E. The Comeback Season. 2008.
    Smith has taken the themes of young love, deep loss and professional baseball—in the form of the hapless Cubs—and turned them into a terrific read that overflows with passion and insight.
  • Volponi, Paul. Black and White. 2005.
    Two star high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

Authors

Non-fiction

revised April 2011