10 Sporty Children’s and YA Books Set Around The World

12th May 2021

10 Sporty Children’s and YA Books Set Around The World

From ancient Roman horse racing to a contemporary fairytale BMX adventure, an #ownvoice rising soccer star in Argentina to a hidden football pitch in Palestine, here are 10 great sporty children’s and YA books set around the world! Curated by TripFiction’s Kid’s Lit Writer in Residence.

Circus Maximus: Race to the Death by Annelise Gray (age 9+) – ANCIENT ROME

Circus Maximus, the greatest sporting stage of the ancient Roman world, where the best horses and charioteers compete in a race to the death, and one girl dreams of glory.

Twelve-year-old Dido dreams of becoming the first female charioteer at the great Circus Maximus but such ambitions are forbidden to girls. When her father is brutally murdered, she is forced to seek refuge with an unlikely ally and face a powerful and terrifying new enemy… the emperor Caligula.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez (YA) – ARGENTINA

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her.

Filled with heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.

Kick by Mitch Johnson (10+) – JAKARTA, INDONESIA

Budi’s plan is simple. He’s going to be a star. Budi’s going to play for the greatest team on earth, instead of sweating over each stitch he sews, each football boot he makes. But one unlucky kick brings Budi’s world crashing down. Now he owes the Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta. Soon it isn’t only Budi’s dreams at stake, but his life.

A story about dreaming big, about hope and heroes, and never letting anything stand in your way.

Princess BMX by Marie Basting (7+) – LONDON

Budi’s plan is simple. He’s going to be a star. Budi’s going to play for the greatest team on earth, instead of sweating over each stitch he sews, each football boot he makes. But one unlucky kick brings Budi’s world crashing down. Now he owes the Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta. Soon it isn’t only Budi’s dreams at stake, but his life.

A story about dreaming big, about hope and heroes, and never letting anything stand in your way.

Fig Swims the World by Lou Abercrombie (10+) – WORLD

Fig Fitzsherbert is good at a lot of things but it’s never quite enough for her high-flying mother, who every New Year’s Day sets Fig an impossible resolution. So one year, Fig decides to set her own challenge instead: she’s going to swim her way round the world. There’s just one tiny problem… Fig can’t swim.

Taking it one length at a time, Fig embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. But with her mother closing in, will she be able to keep her head above water and complete her challenge?

A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird (9+) – PALESTINE

Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. Israeli tanks control the city in response to a Palestinian suicide bombing but Karim longs to play football with his mates.

When Karim and his friend discover an unused patch of ground it’s the perfect site for a football pitch. But in this city there’s constant danger, and when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive…

Kicking Off!: Dick, Kerr Girls by Eve Ainsworth (9+) – PRESTON, UK

It’s 1917, and Britain is at war. Shy teenager Hettie wants to help the war effort, and signs up to work in the local Dick, Kerr & Co. munitions factory. She’s nervous, but she has no idea quite how much her life is about to change … For, inside this factory are young women who are about to make sporting history. Can Hettie find the courage to join them, and in doing so, find her own place in the world?

Based on the thrilling true story of the Dick, Kerr Ladies team – football’s forgotten legends.

Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer (8+) – CUMBRIA, UK

Lily has lots of worries. She’s struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, worse, she’s losing her gran to Alzheimer’s. But then she discovers her great-great-grandfather’s diaries from the First World War. Could his incredible story of bravery help her reconnect with her gran and even give her the inspiration she needs to push through and win?

Mina vs. the Monsoon by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta (4+) – INDIA

Lily has lots of worries. She’s struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, worse, she’s losing her gran to Alzheimer’s. But then she discovers her great-great-grandfather’s diaries from the First World War. Could his incredible story of bravery help her reconnect with her gran and even give her the inspiration she needs to push through and win?

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls (4+) – GHANA, AFRICA

Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, Emmanuel was always taught by his mother to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, and became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.

Keep your eyes peeled for 10 MORE sporty children’s and YA books set around the world coming soon!

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