BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Althea was a kid, she played in the streets of Harlem with her friends and excelled at everything. But by 13 - it wasn't enough to just play during the summer, so she joined the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club and worked odd jobs there to pay for her lessons. She was really good at tennis, but because she was black, she could only play people in her own league. She beat everyone there - and wanted to be a world champion, but the laws in the United States were not on her side. By 1950 she was invited to play in the US championships against white players, she toured Europe and by 1957 was invited to play at Wimbledon. She was a true champion.
Laura Freeman's illustrations are colorful and active. Reid's text is concise. A fun read for the tennis enthusiast. Althea Gibson is a great example of grit, perseverance and courage. Includes an extensive author's note, timeline and further reading.
Lisa Librarian
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