Overview

A picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world. From the start, Arthur Ashe was an unlikely tennis player. As a young boy growing up in Richmond, Virginia, in the 1940s, he was small and skinny-and barred from most tennis courts because he was black. Still, Arthur was drawn to the game and began to play wherever he could. With patience, hard work, and humility, Arthur pursued his dream. Defeating player after player, match after match, he blazed a path on the once all-white tennis courts, becoming the first African American man to win a Grand Slam tournament and the top-ranked tennis player in the world. Throughout his career, Arthur Ashe fought to overcome adversity, opening doors in his sport and promoting human rights. Game, Set, Match, Champion Arthur Ashe is a heartfelt, action-packed tribute to one of the most compelling athletes and humanitarians of the twentieth century. An example of quiet grace and dignity on and off the tennis court, Arthur Ashe set a shining example for us all.

Full Product Details

9781620143162

Table of Contents

Reviews

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"""Layered with spatters and strong lines, debut illustrator Belford's heavily worked paintings suggest the cloudiness of memory . . . but the matches themselves, glowing with the green of the courts, practically vibrate with energy."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Hubbard does a creditable job telling his story, particularly in describing tennis matches and Ashe's strategies for winning. She has identified some of the most compelling events from Ashe's past as examples of a complex and influential life, and her focus on Ashe's mental abilities are a balance to his recognized athletic skills. The excellent backmatter includes an afterword, chronology, author's note and bibliography."" -- Kirkus Reviews The sports details spotlighting Ashe's famously aggressive ""serve-and-volley"" style will capture a young audience, as will his triumph as the first African American man to win Wimbledon and his continued political activism -- Booklist ""[A] satisfying tribute to a distinguished athlete."" -- School Library Journal ""Clearly wrapped into the text are essential lessons about discrimination as a barrier to career development and about activism as a tool for promoting social justice."" -- Rutgers Project on Economics and Children Notable Children's Book, Smithsonian Storytelling World Award, Storytelling World"

Layered with spatters and strong lines, debut illustrator Belford's heavily worked paintings suggest the cloudiness of memory ... but the matches themselves, glowing with the green of the courts, practically vibrate with energy. -- Publishers Weekly Hubbard does a creditable job telling his story, particularly in describing tennis matches and Ashe's strategies for winning. She has identified some of the most compelling events from Ashe's past as examples of a complex and influential life, and her focus on Ashe's mental abilities are a balance to his recognized athletic skills. The excellent backmatter includes an afterword, chronology, author's note and bibliography. -- Kirkus Reviews The sports details spotlighting Ashe's famously aggressive serve-and-volley style will capture a young audience, as will his triumph as the first African American man to win Wimbledon and his continued political activism -- Booklist [A] satisfying tribute to a distinguished athlete. -- School Library Journal Clearly wrapped into the text are essential lessons about discrimination as a barrier to career development and about activism as a tool for promoting social justice. -- Rutgers Project on Economics and Children Notable Children's Book, Smithsonian Story Telling World Award, Storytelling Magazine

The trials and achievements of tennis star Arthur Ashe, from his youth in the segregated South to his work fighting apartheid and successes on the court, are illuminated in this crisply written story about facing challenges and following dreams. With the support of his father and his coaches, Ashe became the first African-American winner of Wimbledon and the top-ranked tennis player in the world. Layered with spatters and strong lines, debut illustrator Belford's heavily worked paintings suggest the cloudiness of memory ... but the matches themselves, glowing with the green of the courts, practically vibrate with energy. -- Publishers Weekly This illustrated biography of sports icon Arthur Ashe follows the trajectory of his remarkable tennis career from his childhood attraction to the sport to his greatest triumph as Wimbledon champion.... Hubbard does a creditable job telling his story, particularly in describing tennis matches and Ashe's strategies for winning. She has identified some of the most compelling events from Ashe's past as examples of a complex and influential life, and her focus on Ashe's mental abilities are a balance to his recognized athletic skills. The excellent backmatter includes an afterword, chronology, author's note and bibliography. -- Kirkus Reviews The sports details spotlighting Ashe's famously aggressive serve-and-volley style will capture a young audience, as will his triumph as the first African American man to win Wimbledon and his continued political activism -- Booklist [A] satisfying tribute to a distinguished athlete. -- School Library Journal Clearly wrapped into the text are essential lessons about discrimination as a barrier to career development and about activism as a tool for promoting social justice. -- Rutgers Project on Economics and Children Notable Children's Book, Smithsonian Story Telling World Award, Storytelling Magazine

Author Information

Crystal Hubbard is a full-time writer and former sports journalist. Her Lee & Low titles The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby, Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl's Baseball Dreams, and Game, Set, Match: Champion Arthur Ashe have been recognized with several honors, including being named to Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year and the ALA's Amelia Bloomer Project. Hubbard lives in Missouri with her family. You can find her on Twitter at @XstalBooks. Kevin Belford is an illustrator and fine artist whose work has been featured in books, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. Belford lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

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