Best sports books for kids
The best sports books for kids include Malgudi Schooldays, Big Nate and Football Genius. For a child who would rather be on the field, a book about the sport they love is the easiest way in.
10 books, checked for age-appropriate content. Updated .
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken.
- 1
Ages 9–14
Malgudi Schooldays
by R.K. Narayan
Swami and his friends turn ordinary school days in Malgudi into humorous adventures, arguments, and cricket dreams.
- 3
Ages 9–14
Football Genius
by Tim Green
A young football prodigy uncovers a conspiracy involving the Atlanta Falcons and risks everything to expose it.
- 4
Ages 6–11
Ultimate Football Heroes: Messi
by Matt & Tom Oldfield
Lionel Messi rises from a small, growth-hormone-deficient child in Argentina to one of football’s greatest players.
- 5
Ages 6–8
Little People BIG DREAMS (series, 100+ subjects)
by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Illustrated biographies show how influential artists, scientists, athletes, and activists turned childhood dreams into remarkable lives.
- 6
Ages 9–11
Matt Christopher Sports Series
by Matt Christopher
Young athletes confront pressure, setbacks, and sportsmanship across accessible stories centered on different competitive sports.
- 7
Ages 9–14
Travel Team
by Mike Lupica
Cut from an elite team, Danny forms an underdog basketball squad coached by his distant former-professional father.
- 9
Ages 9–11
Who Is Pele?
by Who HQ
A biography follows Pelé from a poor Brazilian childhood to three World Cup victories and global football fame.
- 10
Ages 6–11
Cricket for the Crocodile
by Ruskin Bond
A boy’s quiet riverside outing becomes a comic encounter with a crocodile and the surprises of the natural world.
More book lists for kids
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