Hopes for 2015

Stacy: I was so excited to see girls in sports receiving so much attention in 2014. Shredded by Karen Avivi won the SCBWI Spark award and Mo'ne Davis was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated for Kids. My hope for 2015 is to see more publishers recognizing the value of this genre and to see more girls in sports celebrated.

Anna: 2014 forced me to take risks and believe in myself in ways for which I never planned. I just came back from a week of learning to surf that really tested my strength of body, spirit, mind, and heart. It was incredibly rewarding. (For more on the surf trip and more pictures you can check out my personal blog annaejordan.com) I hope for all of our readers a 2015 full of supported risks and the learning that comes with taking those risks.

Robin: My hopes for 2015 are for more people to get off the couch and start moving. I've been inspired by the athletic feats of so many this year, and look forward to setting some of my own records this coming year. I'll be training for my first triathlon and shedding the remaining pregnancy weight. (If you remember, I started training and finally got comfortable in the water when I had to put training aside for my pregnancy and my prenatal exercises.) Writing-wise, my hope is to finish revisions of my current manuscript. Revise another, and draft an idea that's been bouncing around in my head for the last month and a half. Happy 2015, everyone! I hope you'll set goals and reach for them!

Kris: I love Robin's hopes directly above me--I need to get myself off the couch and moving! I had a little bit of a scare with a thrown back recently, and it's been a wake-up call that I need to strengthen my core. While I don't see myself training for a formal competition or surfing, like my amazing colleagues, I would like to get back to the gym and lose a few pounds and build up some strength. My biggest dream will be realized this year. My debut novel (Any Way You Slice It--yes, it's a sporty girl book) will be out in April. I can't wait to show you all the cover in the next few weeks and for it to be out in the world. I love being a part of the sporty girl movement--I'm the poster child of a non-athlete who loves Sporty Girl books--I hope to see more of you participating in your own level of moving and getting healthy!

Please share your own hopes and dreams in our comments!

A Look Back at Women's Sports in 2014

2014 was a good year for women in sports. Children and adults all over the world were introduced to the possibility of a girl who plays baseball as Mo'ne Davis hit the scene. She was not the only girl in the Little League World Series (there was another girl in the series this year), but she was the first to receive national attention when she pitched a shut out game. Her picture appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and she was named Sports Illustrated Kids' Sports Kid of the year.



Mo'ne was not the only women to do great things this year. ESPNw has named 24 other Impact Women of the Year including Brittney Griner, a 24 year old WNBA all-star, Ronda Rousey, a 27 year old bantamweight champion, Maya Moore, a 25 year old WNBA MVP, and Michelle Wie, a 25 year old Women's Open Golf Champion. You can see ESPNw's full list here.

Sports on Earth has also named their top 10 women in sports of 2014. You can see their list here.

On the other side, the Boston Globe put together Nine Women's Sports Stories that Deserved More Attention in 2014. Make sure to check them out.

At Sporty Girl Books we have followed stories through out twitter feed @sportygirlbooks and out Facebook page. Follow our blog and both of those sites for more Sporty Girl news in 2015.

See you next year!


Did you have a favorite athlete or sports story of 2014? Tell us about it in the comments.

Sporty Girl Books of 2014: Perfect Gifts for the Holidays

With today being the first day of Hanukkah and Christmas less than ten days away, I've created a list of sporty girl books published in 2014 to help with last minute gift giving.  You're welcome:)

Middle Grade

Eliza Bing is (Not) a Big, Fat Quitter by Carmella Van Vleet (Tae Kwan Do)*

The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery by R. M. Clark (Baseball)

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel (Tae Kwan Do)*^

Dance Divas: Two to Tango by Sheryl Berk (Dance)

Young Adult

Being Sloan Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Figure Skating and Hockey)*+

Take Me On by Katie McGarry (Kickboxing)
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Mirranda Kenneally (Running)*

Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple (Martial Arts)*
In Deep by Terra Elan McVoy (Swimming)

Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Crompton (Daredevil/Thrill Seeker)
Girl on a Wire, by Gwenda Bond (Circus)

Gold Metal Winter by Donna Freitas (Figure Skating)

I've heard good things about all the books on the list, but the books with an * are the ones I've personally read and can recommend
+ Books I've reviewed (click on + to read review)
^ My nine year old's favorite read of the year

Looking for more ideas? Here's a Goodreads list of Athlete Girl Novels (includes ones not published in 2014)
And, of course, you can follow the link at the top of our blog to our list of Middle Grade and Young Adult Sporty Books.

I'm sure I've missed some out this year. Please share ones you've enjoyed. I'm also interested in books for younger readers (picture books, early readers, and chapter books) so feel free to share those and help me with my last minute gift giving.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Kwanza!

Holiday Suggestions

It’s been a busy year for the bloggers at Sporty Girl Books. We've had babies, signed with agents, got book deals, and been busy at our day jobs. We've been writing, reading, and caring for our families.

Many of us haven’t had time to start shopping. I’m always about giving books as gifts whenever it’s possible.

So…I’m opening the forum here for suggestion! What are your favorite sporty girl books that came out in 2014? They might be books that we already have on our suggested reading list, or they might be things that we’ve missed and need to add. 

Go!

I'll do a recap from the suggestions we get!

Donate to help girls on #GivingTuesday and Every Day

My parents kept a large pottery bowl on top of a tall cabinet. The bowl was shallow and wide and throughout the year, they'd place in it all the letters asking for money. Come the beginning of December, they'd cull through the bowl, recycle duplicates and winnow down the pile to decide where their giving money would go.

Most of the giving I do takes the form of volunteering my time, baking for sales, and buying poinsettias and such for organizations in which my kids are involved.  I may not have that wide, shallow pottery bowl, but I still care about where my money goes and how it can best help others.

One of the things I want my money to do is to help advance opportunities in sports for girls and women. As I mentioned in my review of Blumenthal's, Let Me Play, the progress of women in education and in business has paralleled the progress of women in sports. Here are a few larger organizations that we've mentioned on Sporty Girl Books you might want to consider today on #GivingTuesday or any time of the year.

Women's Sports Foundation:
Founded in 1974 by tennis legend, Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. Their programs include Sports4Life, a national effort to increase the participation and retention of African American and Hispanic girls, ages 11-18 in developmental youth sports programs and GoGirlGo!, an award winning curriculum and sports education program, that works to improve the health of sedentary girls and keeps girls involved in physical activity by supporting programs and organizations that work with girls. Donate here.

The Girl Scouts of America:
From building healthy girls to creating healthy leaders, the Girl Scouts are encouraging girls to participate in GirlSports, a program that promotes group and individual sports as an opportunity to gain vital leadership skills. They offer Legacy Athlete badges that signify good sportsmanship, cross-training knowledge, coaching skills, and more. They can upload their own stories and be inspired by sports trailblazers. Donate here. 

Baseball for All:
Justine Siegal made history in 2011 when she became the first woman to throw batting practice to an MLB team. Her organization, Baseball For All, fosters, encourages, and provides opportunities for girls to participate in baseball. They educate the public concerning the importance of providing equal opportunities and provide resources for girls who are told they are not allowed to try out for a school team. "If you tell a girl she can't play baseball what else will she think she can't do?" Donate now.

We Need Diverse Books:
If you read this blog, you probably know a little bit about this issue. Bottom line, all children should be able to see themselves in a book. This organization supports diverse authors in classrooms, internships in publishing, diverse books and programming, diversifying classrooms, and developing educational kits for libraries and schools. The organization's main goal is to promote non-majority narratives and many of our athletic girls fall into this category in one way or another. Donate now.

Leave a comment below with a link to your favorite #GivingTuesday choice so that other readers can check them out!