Billie Jean!: How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women's Sports

"Anything Billie Jean did, she did it ALL THE WAY." This intensity is a recurring motif in Rockliff's tale of the early life of tennis player Billie Jean King, born in 1943. From a childhood in which tennis was presented as the only sport for girls, to her ultimate triumph in the legendary "Battle of the Sexes" against Bobby Riggs in 1973, King's career was shaped by defying sexist expectations. By centering these many obstacles, Rockliff reveals the pervasive dimensions of the prejudices King faced, heightening her continued perseverance and eventual victories. And the firmly defined lines of Baddeley's illustrations aptly evoke King's steely determination through frustrations and joys. Though the book ends with the match against Riggs, an author's note delves further into King's activism for women's sports, Title IX, and LGBTQ communities. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 3--As a child, athletically inclined Billie Jean King was angry that her favorite sports were for men only. She was then introduced to tennis and began doing so well that she was competing at Wimbledon while still a teenager. Despite her successes, she was a victim of the sexist double standards that negatively impacted female athletes. While male tennis champions were asked about their game, she was asked about her marriage and childbearing prospects. She also realized women were compensated far less than their male counterparts. When Bobby Riggs challenged her to a match in 1973, King was determined to beat him--which she did. She became a crusader for the equal treatment of women athletes, even testifying before the Senate Subcommittee on Education to advocate for girls' sports. Rockliff's text deftly tells King's story; Baddeley provides beautiful illustrations. An afterword offers further information about King, including a former girlfriend that outed King to the public. Less biography than a tale of King's fight for women's rights in professional sports, this volume is almost identical in scope to Brad Meltzer's I Am Billie Jean King. However, Rockcliff's narrative is better executed, and Baddeley's pictures are more appealing. VERDICT A good addition for collections needing information on the evolution of women's treatment in professional sports through the life of one of its greatest icons.--Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Billie Jean King's positive energy and dedication to her endless battle for the simple idea of equality are captured in this profile of the tennis legend. A must-read for young equal rights warriors. Your advantage. —Kirkus Reviews

Considering King's contributions to the struggle toward equal funding, scholarships, pay, and respect for women in sports, this accessible picture book offers a welcome introduction to this legendary tennis star and advocate for women's rights. —Booklist

"Rockliff reveals the pervasive dimensions of the prejudices King faced, heightening her continued perseverance and eventual victories. And the firmly defined lines of Baddeley's illustrations aptly evoke King's steely determination through frustrations and joys. —Publishers Weekly

Rockliff's text deftly tells King's story; Baddeley provides beautiful illustrations. A good addition for collections needing information on the evolution of women's treatment in professional sports through the life of one of its greatest icons. —School Library Journal