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August 11, 2026 by Calkins Creek
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
From the Publisher:
"Tennis legend Billie Jean King profiles 11 of today’s pioneering athletes in women's sports in this inspiring nonfiction book based on exclusive interviews that will empower athletes and sports fans ages 12 and up.
Billie Jean King made history in her 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against Bobby Riggs. She proved that a woman athlete was as capable, determined, and worth watching as a man. Now, she highlights the trailblazing athletes of women's sports of today who are proving the same thing every time they play.
In See It To Be It, readers will learn about superstars athletes like tennis player Naomi Osaka and WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark, as well as players on the rise, such as Paralympic swimmer McKenzie Coan and Kendall Coyne Schofield of the gold medal-winning US Olympic hockey team. Based on exclusive interviews and featuring never-before-published photos, this electrifying book shares true stories that will energize young athletes and prove that legends aren’t just born, they’re made—both on and off the playing field.
Athletes profiled are Caitlin Clark (basketball), Diana Flores (flag football), Kendall Coyne Schofield (hockey), Midge Purce (soccer), Asjia O’Neal (volleyball), Kelsie Whitmore (baseball), Amit Elor (wrestling), McKenzie Coan (swimming), Nikki Hiltz (track), Chelsea Gray (basketball), and Naomi Osaka (tennis)."
This colorful collection of short biographies offers a wide range of women currently involved in professional sports. There are not only different sports, but also different ethnicities. The struggles of these competitors is not downplayed, including medical and mental health issuesthat they may have faced, which is a change from twenty years ago when people didn’t discuss many things publicly.
I’m a huge admirer of King’s, and the amount of good she has done for women’s sports is beyond incredible. It’s particularly noteworthy that she stops to focus on the struggles and accomplishments of other women in sports. Robbins writes engaginly about the different women, there are lots of photos, and the source notes at the back of the book are very complete.
This would make a great gift for a young athlete. The preface talks about the fact that King herself, and many of the women highlighted, had books about other female athletes that inspired them. For a school library, I am always hesitant to buy biographies about people who are in the middle of their careers, since things can change, but public and school libraries with a decent budget will want to look into this clear interview that helps to correct the fact that only 20% of sports news coverage focuses on women’s sports!
Johnston, E.K. Third Period ComebackE ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Hayley is an avid and talented soccer player, but she knows that her playing days are soon going to be over. Her great grandfather, William Rilko, played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was killed in an air crash in 1951. This is thought to be the catalyst for a curse that has led the team to have disastrous seasons and not win championships, but since his body was never found, his whole family suffers. It’s a very large family, with Hayley’s 21 cousins as well as aunts, uncles, great-aunts, and great-uncles. The Rilko’s all love playing hockey, but have to stop when they hit puberty. Everyone knows about this, so when Hayley gets her period, she’s devastated and a bit embarrassed that everyone will soon know. She is able to finish the season, since the curse doesn’t take hold until her third period, but she feels the time crunch. When her extended family goes to their summer camp in Timmins, outside of Ontario, she and her cousins try several different ways to undo the curse. This is a struggle, since not only have other family members devoted their lives to this pursuit, but people knowledgable in magic haven’t been able to reverse it, either. They attempt to talk to “Greatest William” via Ouija board, and eventually travel deep into the woods to find the plane and burn whatever body remains to break the curse. Will Hayley be able to find a way to continue playing her beloved sport?
Strengths: The depiction of the family cabin, with its musty board games and tiny shared rooms, was delightful, and reminiscent of Matson’s The Firefly Summer. I loved that Hayley didn’t want to summon the dead with a game produced by Parker Brothers! Very astute. The large family works well together with understandable hitches in dynamics from time to time, and the adults are supportive but give the children lots of freedom. This is definitely a fantasy novel, with a thin veneer of magic coating Hayley’s entire world. Hayley’s ancestor seems to be loosely based on the real life Bill Barilko, who was killed in a plane crash in 1951. I am always glad to see books centered on sports!
Weaknesses: There could have been more detailed world building, since there seemed to be whole systems of magic that weren’t well explained. I also knew nothing about “real” curses the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered, so was vastly confused. Hayley’s family is very large, which is understandable (I personally have 38 cousins!), but made it hard to keep track of characters. There is a lot of detail about getting one’s period that will appeal to some readers but not to others.
What I really think: Add this to a selection of hockey books that includes Blitt’s Breaking the Ice, Irwin’s Captain Skidmark Dances with Destiny, and Ridge’s Inside Hudson Pickle. I don’t have a huge audience for hockey books, but I can see this being popular in Canada!
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