Playing to Win: How Althea Gibson Broke Barriers and Changed Tennis Forever

by Karen Deans (Author) Elbrite Brown (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Although stars like Serena Williams cite Althea Gibson as an inspiration, Gibson's story is not well-known to many young people today. Growing up tough and rebellious in Harlem, Althea took that fighting attitude and used it to go after her goals of being a tennis champion, and a time when tennis was a game played mostly by wealthy white people in country clubs that excluded African Americans.

In 1956, she became the first Black American to win a major championship when she won at The French Open. When she won the celebrated Wimbledon tournament the following year, Gibson shook hands with the Queen of England. Not bad for a kid from the streets of Harlem. With determination and undeniable skill, Althea Gibson become a barrier-breaking, record-setting, and world-famous sportswoman.

This new and updated edition of this inspirational biography contains recent information on the impact of Gibson's legacy.

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 2-5--Born to sharecroppers in South Carolina, Gibson (1927-2003), a trailblazing Black tennis player, grew up with various family members in Philadelphia and New York City before finally reuniting with her parents in Harlem. Gibson struggled in school; she got into fights and skipped class. Gibson found her true passion when she was introduced to table tennis. Finding focus and motivation in competition, she committed to becoming the best--even when she lost and even after experiencing racism in the South when she went to college in Florida. Gibson's years of hard work and dedication paid off when she became the first African American to win a major tennis championship in 1956. She made it to Wimbledon and played there in 1951 and 1956. Deans skillfully shows the depth of Gibson's journey by including moments of discouragement and loss, and by emphasizing the importance of the support and encouragement from friends. The historical context of racism is handled well, and the clear text is concise. Brown's illustrations sing with dynamic colors. Illustrations of Gibson stand out in particular, evoking her immense skill with kinetic movement on the page. An author's note, a time line of events, a bibliography with further reading, and a list of informational websites are included. VERDICT A beautiful and thorough addition to every biography section.--Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Lib., Montevallo, AL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

Steptoe Award–winner Brown uses perspective and color to amplify emotion, occasionally replicating Gibson’s graceful form as she moves across the court and adding swirls of crayon to lend energy and movement to his compositions. Sunny yellow backgrounds accompany Gibson as she plays her way to victory over obstacles both social and personal, rounding out the portrait of this groundbreaking winner. 

Review quotes

 
Karen Deans
Karen Deans is the author of Playing to Win: The Story of Althea Gibson, illustrated by Elbrite Brown. She is also an artist whose favorite medium is oil paint on panel. Ms. Deans lives with her husband and three children in the Washington DC area.

Joe Cepeda is an award-winning illustrator of more than twenty books for children. He lives in Southern California with his wife and their son.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780823448531
Lexile Measure
830
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
January 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF007100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Sports & Recreation
JNF054120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Sports & Recreation | Racket Sports
Library of Congress categories
Biographies
United States
Women
Tennis players
African American women tennis players
Gibson, Althea

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