TOP 5 SPORTS BOOKS FOR TEENS

Welcome to Books About Sports

It's our first blog post! Welcome to Books About Sports, and we're glad you're on this journey with us. 
We get a lot of questions about sports books for teenagers, so we figured this would naturally be a good place to start our blog.

This blog exists for you. We're not incented to promote one book vs. another; we're free to endorse books that we felt were really good, and those are the books you'll see on this website. 

Unfortunately, that means we'll read quite a few books that we'll never mention on the site. While I'm one for efficiency, we can't in good faith promote books that are simply "ok." 

Last, this site wouldn't exist without the feedback and contributions of many. If you have a favorite book, let us know. Knowledge and experiences are powerful when they're shared. 

The Criteria

1. The books below are books that we enjoyed, first and foremost. For all books on this site, if we didn't enjoy it, we're not going to endorse it. 

2. We tried to choose books from different sports that offered unique, authentic stories. We're suckers for true stories.

​3. Last, all these books should inspire teens in a positive way, get them thinking about life, and move them to better themselves. 

The Top 5

1. Win By Two: A Kansas City Drug Dealer, a Private School Teacher, and the Game That Linked Them Together

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1. Win By Two: A Kansas City Drug Dealer, a Private School Teacher, and the Game That Linked Them Together by Adam Donyes and Derrick Derrell - This is a touching story about how two people who couldn't be more different are connected through the game of basketball. While not for everyone, the common faith that both men shared allowed them to overcome tremendous tragedy. Life isn't always fair, but you'll leave this book with a renewed sense of the impact that you can have, even just on one person.

2. Old School Grit: Times May Change, but The Rules for Success Never Do

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2. Old School Grit by Darrin Donnelly - Donnelly's "Sports For The Soul" series contains six fiction books, and they're all excellent. Old School Grit is about fictional coach Bob Flanagan, who, while preparing his basketball team for the post-season tournament, starts to write letters to his grandchildren about the timeless lessons and wisdom that he hopes to pass on. As Donnelly writes in his subtitle, "Times may change, but the rules for success never do." 

3. Friday Night Lights

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3. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger - This book follows the 1988 season of the Permian High School football team in Odessa, Texas, and explores the pressure and expectations placed on the players and coaches. This book skus on the older range, and we wouldn't recommend it for anyone 16 or younger. 

4. The Crossover

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4. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander - For every teen that dreams of being a rapper and an athlete, this book is the perfect mix of both. Alexander just released a second book in the series, and word on the street is that the books are being made into a mini-series for Disney+. This book is best for younger teens. 

5. Courage to Soar

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5. Courage to Soar by Simone Biles - Biles received a lot of uncalled for criticism when she stepped away from the 2021 summer Olympic games to focus on her mental health. With 4 gold medals already to her name, Biles is a champion, fun personality, mental health advocate, and role model for a lot of young gymnasts.

Additional Resources

For additional young adult recommendations, check out our Teen & Young Adult (YA) page. 

​For our favorite basketball books for teens, see our article here. ​