Our list of some of the best Sports Nonfiction books & series in recent years. Get inspired by one or more of the following books.
- Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars (2017)
- Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Basketball (2017)
- Scholastic Year in Sports 2019 (2018)
- Stephen Curry: Never Give Up. A Boy Who Became a Star. Inspiring Children Book About One of the Best Basketball Players in History. (2017)
- The A-Z Basketball Book: What Every Player Needs to Know to Be Great at the Game! (2013)
- Basketball’s Record Breakers (Sports Illustrated Kids: Record Breakers) (2017)
- Shoot Your Shot: A Sport-Inspired Guide To Living Your Best Life (2018)
- National Geographic Kids Everything Sports: All the Photos, Facts, and Fun to Make You Jump! (2016)
- Scholastic Year in Sports 2018 (2017)
- The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond (2004)
- Walk-On Warrior: Drive, Discipline, and the Will to Win (2018)
- Amazing Sports and Science (TIME For Kids Book of WHY) (TIME for Kids Big Books of WHY) (2014)
- Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident (Historical Nonfiction Bestseller, True Story Book of Survival) (2014)
Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars (2017)
Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in 6th grade. He went on to become a national treasure after single-handedly keeping America competitive in the 2014 World Cup. Stephen Curry was told he was too small, too weak, and too slow to even receive a scholarship to play college basketball. He outworked everyone and went on to become MVP of the National Basketball Association.
Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Basketball (2017)
Fast-paced, adrenaline-filled, and brimming with out-of-this-world athleticism, basketball has won the hearts of fans all across America—yet it is particularly popular among kids and teens. Giants of the game like Steph Curry, LeBron, and Michael Jordan have transcended the sport to become cultural icons and role models to young fans.
Scholastic Year in Sports 2019 (2018)
A thrilling look at the past year for sports fans of all ages!Scholastic’s annual Year in Sports celebrates its 10th edition with a brand new 2019 release. The exciting coverage of this year’s sporting events features colorful photographs from right in the action, completely updated facts and stats, plus special features on the 2018 Winter Olympics and more.
Stephen Curry: Never Give Up. A Boy Who Became a Star. Inspiring Children Book About One of the Best Basketball Players in History. (2017)
Stephen Curry: A Boy Who Became a Star This is the inspiring children story of Stephen Curry, a boy who became a star. Fully illustrated children picture book.
The A-Z Basketball Book: What Every Player Needs to Know to Be Great at the Game! (2013)
The A-Z Basketball Book is for all players, from age 12 to 18, that want to know what it takes to excel at the great game of basketball. Developed from a lifetime of coaching, playing, and studying, this comprehensive book condenses all the wisdom of the game down into an easy-to-read A to Z format. The website, A-ZBasketballBook.com is provided as a complement to the book.
Basketball’s Record Breakers (Sports Illustrated Kids: Record Breakers) (2017)
The Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of the Chicago Bulls’ record for regular season wins captivated the basketball world, as did the Warriors’ record-setting win streak to open the same season. Fans marveled, just as they had in earlier years as Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain set records that some fans consider unbreakable.
Shoot Your Shot: A Sport-Inspired Guide To Living Your Best Life (2018)
‘Shoot Your Shot’ identifies the key principles that the world’s most elite basketball players have applied to their lives and explains in detail how you can can use those same exact principles to help you navigate through life, accomplish your goals, and realize your dreams.Divided into Quarters and making you feel like you are in an actual basketball game, ‘Shoot Your Shot’ provides an entertaining and unique reading experience while equipping you with proven tools for success.
National Geographic Kids Everything Sports: All the Photos, Facts, and Fun to Make You Jump! (2016)
Become an expert on sports, just in time for the 2016 Olympics! From archery to zip lining this book covers EVERYTHING about the world’s favorite team and individual sports. With stunning visuals and energetic, impactful design, readers won’t stop until they’ve learned everything there is to know about the history, rules and regs, training, and practice of dozens of athletic pursuits.
Scholastic Year in Sports 2018 (2017)
For sports fans of all ages!The brand new 2018 edition of Scholastic’s annual Year in Sports features full-color action photographs throughout, completely updated facts and stats, and a colorful interior design. Read about all of the top athletes, championships, and legends from the major and secondary sports. Featuring all your favorite stars in baseball, basketball, football, and more, this book is perfect for sports newbies, as well as the most devoted fans.
The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond (2004)
At a 1931 barnstorming exhibition game in Tennessee, a seventeen-year-old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back to back. Her name was Jackie Mitchell–“organized baseball’s first girl pitcher.” On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax made baseball history by pitching his fourth perfect game.
Walk-On Warrior: Drive, Discipline, and the Will to Win (2018)
Small town. Undersized. Not enough talent. John Willkom heard it all as a young basketball player growing up in rural Wisconsin. Despite the odds, John dedicated his life to the game, an arduous journey that challenged the very core of even the most disciplined. As John’s hard work lands him amongst basketball’s elite, it is the workouts, the people, and the behind-the-scenes interactions that not only change his skill set but how he lives his life.
Amazing Sports and Science (TIME For Kids Book of WHY) (TIME for Kids Big Books of WHY) (2014)
TIME for Kids The BIG Book of Why: Sports and Science answers the why, what, when, where, who and how questions that kids commonly ask, but adults can rarely answer. Why does a curve ball curve? Why does a Super Ball bounce so high? How can David Beckham make a soccer ball “bend”? Why can eating chocolate make people hyper?Written in an upbeat manner, each answer is accompanied by either a photo or an illustration to show the reasons why.
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident (Historical Nonfiction Bestseller, True Story Book of Survival) (2014)
The mystery of Dead Mountain: In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain.
Best Sports Nonfiction Books that Should be on Your Bookshelf
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some sports nonfiction books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are truly hot items according to Chicago Tribune, others are composed by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.