Read on ... sports : reading lists for every taste

Organized across appeal features, this comprehensive listing of stories, biographies, and fiction is the first and only guide to sports literature for adult and teen readers.

Sports literature spans multiple genres--from fast-paced adventures, to biographies of sports heroes, to tales of underdogs overcoming the odds among others. Libraries and readers alike can benefit from a resource that organizes fiction and nonfiction titles according to their primary appeal features. This useful reference features reading lists of sports-oriented titles written by talented authors that are cataloged by character, story, setting, mood, and language. The lists are perfect for advising readers, creating thematic reading lists for library websites, and as plans for those who enjoy reading about athletic pursuits. The authors include fascinating notations for books that became films, as well as a resource list of websites and links to articles relating to sports fiction.

• Series Foreword p. ix
• Acknowledgments p. xi
• Introduction p. xiii
• Sports Defined p. xiv
• Criteria for Selection p. xiv
• How to Use This Book p. xiv
• A Note for Librarians p. xv
• Symbols p. xv
• Chapter 1 Character p. 1
• Best of the Best-Great Athletes/Great Writers p. 1
• Outstanding Athletes-Outstanding Autobiographies p. 3
• The Lives of Great Coaches p. 5
• Owners-Titans of the Game p. 7
• One of a Kind-Unique Individuals p. 9
• Sport Families p. 10
• Yer Out!-The Officials p. 12
• These Women Rock p. 14
• Voices of Sport-Announcers p. 15
• Out of the Closet ... and into the Spotlight p. 17
• Yo Rocky-Underdogs p. 19
• "I'll Play the Game"-The Sporting Lives of Writers p. 21
• You Are Not Supposed to Be Here-Breakthroughs p. 23
• Politicians and Celebrities p. 25
• Chapter 2 Story p. 29
• Did You See That Game? p. 29
• Greatest Rivalries p. 32
• Game Changers-Reinventing Sport p. 34
• Title IX-Leveling the Playing Field (Almost) p. 36
• Fabulous Firsts and Unbreakable Records p. 38
• Endurance-Highest, Fastest, and Furthest p. 40
• There's a War On (U.S. Wars) p. 42
• Political Underpinnings p. 44
• The Seedier Side of Sports p. 46
• Inside Scoops-Tell-Alls p. 48
• Cheaters Never Win p. 50
• High School Hopes and Dreams p. 52
• Bubble Gum in Every Pack-Collectibles p. 54
• Stay Tuned-Media and Sports p. 56
• The Thrill of Mystery p. 57
• Forgotten, Forlorn, and Misbegotten Teams and Leagues p. 59
• Chapter 3 Setting p. 63
• Fantasy Leagues p. 63
• Off the Beaten Path-Unlikely Pastimes That Pass for Sport p. 65
• It's a Business, Not a Game p. 67
• The Most Dangerous Sports p. 69
• Outdoor Life-Nature and Sport p. 71
• Road Trips-Traveling and Sports p. 72
• Out of This World-Sports in Speculative Fiction p. 74
• The Olympics p. 75
• 1936-An Olympic Year p. 77
• Sport amid Chaos p. 79
• Tools of the Trade-Equipment p. 81
• At the Movies-Craig's Favorite Books to Film p. 83
• At the Movies 2-Richard's Favorite Books to Film p. 85
• Chapter 4 Language p. 89
• The Art of the Essay and Article p. 89
• These Guys Are Funny-Humor in Sports p. 91
• Behind the Pen (Keyboard)-Writers' Lives p. 93
• Nonsports Writers Writing about Sports p. 95
• For Literary Enthusiasts-Sports and So Much More p. 97
• Historical Novels of the Game p. 99
• The Fantastic-Novels That Stretch the Imagination p. 101
• Interviews-The Best Questions Asked and Answered p. 103
• Diaries ... A Day in the Life p. 105
• The "A" Team-Anthologies p. 106
• Poetry and Other Shorts p. 108
• Playwrights Play Right-Broadway and Sports p. 110
• Chapter 5 Mood p. 113
• Before the Fall p. 113
• ...After the Fall p. 115
• Good Advice, Great Coaches p. 117
• Nostalgia-The Good Old Days p. 118
• Fans or Fanatics? p. 120
• Fathers and Sons (and Daughters Too) p. 122
• Remembrance-Lives Cut Short p. 124
• Sports Photography-A Picture Is Worth p. 126
• At What Cost-The Price of Excellence p. 128
• For the Love of the Game (Not the Money) p. 130
• Love and Devotion-Beyond the Games p. 132
• I Can Do Anything You Can Do-Athletes with Disabilities p. 134
• Extraordinary Friendships p. 135
• It's Tebow Time-You Gotta Have Faith p. 137
• The Futility of Being a Cleveland Sports Fan (or How We Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Defeat and Despair) p. 139
• Sources p. 143
• Index-Titles by Sport p. 145
• Name Index p. 157