Serena

The Littlest Sister

Page Street Kids
(pub. 5.21.2019) 
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Karlin Gray

 and illustrator: 
Monica Ahanonu
 
C haracter: Serena Williams

O verview: 
     "A true story of sisterhood and championship, this is how Serena Williams became not only one of the greatest female athletes, but one of the biggest sports stars of all time.
     Long before becoming a tennis star, Serena was the youngest in a family of five girls. Being a littlest sister made Serena determined to stand out and be a winner ..." 

T antalizing taste: 
     "... Serena turned pro at fourteen, like Venus. But unlike Venus, Serena lost. 
    So Venus and Serena started playing as a doubles team. Playing with her sister, Serena felt stronger. Their motto was, 'If you can't do it for you, do it for me.'
    By the time she turned sixteen, Serena had grown taller and more confident. She was ready to play on her own - and in her own style.
    Serena wasn't as strong or as fast as Venus, so she angled her shots to win. After she fell off her skateboard one day, it hurt her wrist too much to hit a backhand. Instead Serena ran around the ball and hit her forehand extra hard." 

And something more: The Afterword explains that "On September 11, 1999, Serena Williams became the first black woman to win the US Open since Althea Gibson's victory in 1957... In 2017, Serena and Venus played against each other in the Australian Open. When Serena won, she made history again - setting a record for the most major titles in the Open era. Thirty-five-year-old Serena said, 'I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus ... She is my inspiration...Thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best payer I could be..."

Her Fearless Run

Katherine Switzer's
Historic Boston Marathon

Page Street Kids
(pub. 4.2.2019) 
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Kim Chaffee

 and illustrator: Ellen Rooney
 
C haracter: Kathrine Switzer

O verview: 
     "In 1967, women weren't supposed to compete in races like the Boston Marathon. But Kathrine Switzer didn't let that stop her.  Even when race officials tried to block her, Katherine kept running.
     From running laps in her back yard to being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with official race numbers, Kathrine Switzer's inspiring true story shows the courage it took to challenge perceptions and forever impact the world of running."

T antalizing taste: 
     "PAT, PAT, PAT
     The summer sun beat down on twelve-year-old Kathrine. She held out her piece of chalk and marked the tree as she ran past again. Two laps to go. Kathrine dripped with sweat. Her legs felt like noodles, but she kept running.
     One lap to go ... just a few more feet ... a few steps ...
     1 MILE!
     Kathrine held her head high and tried to catch her breath. But ...
     The mailman stared. The mailman asked if she was okay. Because in 1959, it was strange to see a girl running.
     Girls weren't supposed to sweat. Girls weren't supposed to compete. They were too weak, too fragile, for sports. That's what most people thought.
     But not Kathrine.
     She thought running was magic."  

And something more: In the Author's Note, Kim Chaffee explains that "Kathrine continues to change women's lives through the nonprofit organization 261(R) Fearless... To commemorate the 50th anniversary of her Boston Marathon run, Kathrine ran the marathon again on April 17, 2017, alongside members of 261(R) Fearless.  She finished with an official time of four hours and forty-four minutes. Afterward, Kathrine's bib number [261] was officially retired by the Boston Athletic Association."