While school is out and you are free to enjoy your summer, you might be loading your calendar with fun activities, such as road trips, adventures, and sports. Tennis, archery, and aquatics are some popular sports during the summer that you can become involved with. Many recent young adult titles feature exciting sports stories for teens!
Blue by H.J. Bellus
Blue Williams yearned to blend in when all her life she has been known in her hometown for her looks as the prom queen, brains as the valedictorian of her class, and talented as the top cheerleader in her high school squad. With a full-ride scholarship in a prestigious school, cheer becomes Blue’s primary focus. Until everything is taken away from her. The man who saved her is just as scarred, and they learn to help each other.
The Storm Before the Calm by Cate Ashwood
Charlie lives for dance. He secures a coveted spot in the Free Rein Dance Company in New York for the summer, and he is excited to get away from his life that has been threatening to devour him dead or alive. In New York, Charlie meets Max, an instructor at the school, who inspires him to be the best. Max exposes him to the close-minded perspective of his town, but Charlie’s not sure how to be center-stage in a drama he is running away from.
Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross
Baseball is the number one thing that seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas blames for completely changing her life. Her dad returns to the major leagues as the pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals, which means she must move to Missouri, attend an all-girl school, and figure out the mysteries of professional sports. It isn’t too terrible, when she meets nineteen-year-old Jason Brody, rookie pitcher for the Royals. Life threw Annie a forbidden curveball, and she is only hoping to not strike out.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twelve-year-old twins, Josh and Jordan Bell, are legends on the basketball court. In this story told in creative prose of Josh’s mad rap skills, Josh and Jordan come face-to-face with more than basketball and the center court; they are forced into big events that change their lives. Relying on family and personal strength, Josh and Jordan learn how to live through it all and come out on top as champions.
The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen
High school football players are treated like royalty in the small town of Ranburne. The girls are on the bottom of the social hierarchy. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana decide to team up and beat the players at their own game. This empowering story of love and friendship will teach a team of football players and its readers about what it means to overcome social pressure and an oppressive culture. It’s time to get even!
-Heather Johnson
Those are great stories indeed, but had to mention a new sports story just out from Delacorte: A MATTER OF HEART. Abby is a high school swimmer about to compete for a spot on the Olympic Trials when she discovers she has a heart condition. If she swims, she could die!