Special Collection: Sports & Games
From compelling accounts of real-life sports icons to gripping fiction stories about the power of sport and games in the lives of young people to thoughtful debates on the role of these pasttimes in our world, these features are sure to delight and engage your students. Enjoy!
The Rule Breaker
The amazing story of Althea Gibson, a star tennis player
who fought an unfair world to make her dream come true
The History of Video Games
In the early days of gaming, kids gathered
in a special place to play together
Are Pro Athletes Overpaid?
Some top athletes make tens of millions of dollars.
Should they?
Nothing Can Stop Him
Meet Ezra Frech, an extraordinary athlete with
a prosthetic leg—and big dreams
Out of the Death Zone
The amazing true story of 13-year-old Poorna Malavath
and her quest to climb the world’s highest mountain
Should Everyone Get a Trophy?
Rewarding everyone on the team might make kids feel
good, but some worry that it sends the wrong message
Silver Dollar Dreams
How will Alex ever earn his orange belt in karate?
With a lot of practice—and some dreaming too
The Fastest Woman in the World/Climbing Toward Equality
How two unstoppable girls with disabilities helped change America forever
Ready. Set. Jump! & Skateboarding Takes Off
With a bit of rope and a lot of creativity, kids created
a street game that spread around the world.
Skateboarding got its start on the sidewalks of California.
Today, it’s an Olympic sport.
The Olympics: Then and Now
The very first Olympic Games were held 2,800 years ago
in ancient Greece. Here’s how this sporting event has
changed since then
Wrong Way, Roy!
Roy Riegels was a star of his football team. But in the
most important game of the year, he made a huge mistake.
Would it ruin his life?
More Than a Sport
Wesay Metoxen celebrates the deep history of lacrosse,
paired with an article about how a teen from Puerto Rico
changed baseball—and America—forever
Learning to Fly
All Shayan wants is to be a skateboard champion
like Jackson. Or does he?
Outdoor Play vs. Video Games
Malik thinks the playground is the place to have fun,
but his friend Camila prefers playing video games.
Whose side are you on?
The History of Fun!
An article about the history of playgrounds is paired with
an interview with a child who helped create an inclusive
playground for his community
Should Your Recess Be Longer?
Many schools have cut recess to focus more on math
and reading. Is it time to put fun back on the schedule?
Are Travel Sports Out of Control?
Travel teams are super competitive and let you focus on
your favorite sport. But some people say that’s exactly
why they’re a bad idea.
The History of the Trampoline
It all began with a whimsical idea:
Bouncing could be a lot of fun
The Secret History of Little League's First Girl
The surprising true story of Tubby Johnston
Game Changer
Twelve-year-old basketball star Christian Collins
doesn’t let a health challenge hold him back
The Scoop on Kids’ Sports
Whether you’re a team captain or just a fan,
kids’ sports are a blast!
Grammar Bot's Amazing Sports From Around the World
Learn about using capital letters while checking out some spectacular sports from different countries!
Grammar Cop's Winning Olympic Facts
Learn about the Olympic Games
as you practice subject/verb agreement
Grammar Bot's Fun Facts About Baseball
Learn about using capital letters correctly as
you discover some mindboggling baseball facts
Art Credits: El Magnifico: Photo Illustration by Matt Herring; Courtesy of The Clemente Museum (Roberto Clemente), iStockPhoto/Getty Images (All Other Images); The Rule Breaker: Bettmann/Getty Images; Go!: Artwork by Greg Ruhl from The Superkids Reading Program Wilma Rudolph © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. Used with permission from Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All rights reserved.; The Save: Art by Natasha Donovan; Learning to Fly: Art by Andrea Galecio; The Big One: Art by Lisa K. Weber; Grammar Bot's Amazing Sports From Around the World: JOHN M LUND PHOTOGRAPHY INC/GETTY IMAGES; Grammar Cop's Winning Olympic Facts: ATSUSHI TOMURA/GETTY IMAGES; The Fastest Woman in the World: Alastair Grant/AP Images; More Than a Sport: photos courtesy of the Metoxen family; Ready. Set. Jump!: Randy PollackFPG/Getty Images; Nothing Can Stop Him: Emily Malan; Ths History of Fun!: Lambert/Getty Images (Jungle Gym); Shutterstock.com (Background); The History of Video Games: Kids in an arcade in 1982 (Bettmann/Getty Images); Out of the Death Zone: Randy Pollack; Silver Dollar Dreams: Shutterstock.com (Rip); Master1305/ Shutterstock.com (boy); Wrong Way, Roy!: Art by Patrick Faricy; In the Game: shutterstock; Are Pro Athletes Overpaid?: From left to right: Jayson Tatum, Lionel Messi, and Shohei Ohtani | Credits: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (BACKGROUND); MARTY JEAN-LOUIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (JAYSON TATUM); PHILIP FONG/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (LIONEL MESSI); MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES (SHOHEI OHTANI); Outdoor Play vs. Video Games: ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLYN RIDSDALE; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (ALL OTHER IMAGES); Should Everyone Get a Trophy?: Art By RJ Matson; Should Your Recess Be Longer?: Golden Pixels LLC/Alamy Stock Photo; Are Travel Sports Out of Control?: Art By RJ Matson; Is Fortnite OK for Kids?: EPIC GAMES; The History of the Trampoline: Daniel Attia/Getty Images; Game Changer: Gregg Segal; The Secret History of Little League’s First Girl: COURTESY KATHRYN JOHNSTON MASSAR/WORLD OF LITTLE LEAGUE MUSEUM; Fun Facts About Baseball: KATHRYN DONOHEW PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES; The Olympics: Then and Now: Album/Alamy Stock Photo (Chariot); Aleksandra Konoplya/Alamy Stock Photo (Skateboard); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images); History of Fun: Shutterstock.com; The Scoop on Kids' Sports: baranozdemir/Getty Images (Wheelchair Basketball); Kristo Robert/Shutterstock.com (Hockey Player); Patrick Foto/Shutterstock.com (Tennis Player)