Game, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe

By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin Belford
Paperback: $14.95

A picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world.

Front cover for The Story of Tennis Champion Arthur Ashe by Crystal Hubbard and Kevin Belford
This book is also available in English
The Story of Tennis Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin Belford

Description

From the start, Arthur Ashe was an unlikely tennis player. As a young boy growing up in Richmond, Virginia, in the 1940s, he was small and skinny-and barred from most tennis courts because he was black. Still, Arthur was drawn to the game and began to play wherever he could.

With patience, hard work, and humility, Arthur pursued his dream. Defeating player after player, match after match, he blazed a path on the once all-white tennis courts, becoming the first African American man to win a Grand Slam tournament and the top-ranked tennis player in the world. Throughout his career, Arthur Ashe fought to overcome adversity, opening doors in his sport and promoting human rights.

Game, Set, Match, Champion Arthur Ashe is a heartfelt, action-packed tribute to one of the most compelling athletes and humanitarians of the twentieth century. An example of quiet grace and dignity on and off the tennis court, Arthur Ashe set a shining example for us all.


Discover more from Lee & Low Books

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

About the Creators

Crystal Hubbard

Crystal Hubbard is a full-time writer and former sports journalist. Her Lee & Low titles The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby, Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl's Baseball Dreams, and Game, Set, Match: Champion Arthur Ashe have been recognized with several honors, including being named to Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year and the ALA's Amelia Bloomer Project. Hubbard lives in Missouri with her family. You can find her on Twitter at @XstalBooks.

Kevin Belford

Kevin Belford is an illustrator and fine artist whose work has been featured in books, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. Belford lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

  • "Layered with spatters and strong lines, debut illustrator Belford's heavily worked paintings suggest the cloudiness of memory . . . but the matches themselves, glowing with the green of the courts, practically vibrate with energy."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Hubbard does a creditable job telling his story, particularly in describing tennis matches and Ashe's strategies for winning. She has identified some of the most compelling events from Ashe's past as examples of a complex and influential life, and her focus on Ashe's mental abilities are a balance to his recognized athletic skills. The excellent backmatter includes an afterword, chronology, author's note and bibliography."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • The sports details spotlighting Ashe's famously aggressive "serve-and-volley" style will capture a young audience, as will his triumph as the first African American man to win Wimbledon and his continued political activism

    - Booklist
  • "[A] satisfying tribute to a distinguished athlete."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Clearly wrapped into the text are essential lessons about discrimination as a barrier to career development and about activism as a tool for promoting social justice."

    - Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620143162
  • Publication Date Sep 01, 2010
  • Trim Size 11.5 × 10 in
  • Weight 0.6875 lbs
  • Page Count 48
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600603662
  • Publication Date Sep 01, 2010
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 1.25 lbs
  • Page Count 48
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Sports & Recreation
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Social Activists
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / People & Places / United States / African American
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Biography / Memoir, Civil Rights Movement, Courage, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fathers, Friendship, Heroism, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Integrity / Honesty, Kindness / Caring, Leadership, Mentors, Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Occupations, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Protest, Respect / Citizenship, Responsibility, Self Control / Self Regulation, Sharing & Giving, Social Justice & Activism, Sports, Sports History, United States History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 7 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 2 - 6
  • Guided Reading T
  • ATOS Book Level 6.2
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 2 - 6
  • Lexile Level 960
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - 5
  • SRC 7.5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 50
      Social Activism Collection
      Collection of 50 books: $745.50

      John Lewis in the Lead

      A biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

      Ira's Shakespeare Dream

      The inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.

      Aani and the Tree Huggers

      A village girl in India inspires the women around her to save their beloved forest.

      Seven Miles to Freedom

      The true story of Robert Smalls, a slave steamboat wheelman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War and escaped with his family and crew to freedom.

      Game, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe

      A picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world.

      The Mangrove Tree

      The fascinating story of Dr. Gordon Sato, who helped a small African village become self-sustaining by planting a forest of mangrove trees to reshape the community's ecosystem.

      Silent Star

      The biography of William Ellsworth Hoy, the first deaf player to have a successful career in professional and Major League baseball.

      Midnight Teacher

      This historical fiction picture book reveals the unknown story of Lilly Ann Granderson, an African-American teacher who risked her life to teach others during slavery.

      Passage to Freedom

      The true story of Chiune Sugihara, the "Japanese Schindler," who, with his family's encouragement, saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania during World War II.

      Butterfly for a King

      The fascinating true story of a beautiful native Hawaiian butterfly, a great Hawaiian warrior king, and current-day efforts by scientists and citizens to restore the butterfly's declining population.

      Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado

      Having crossed the Rio Grande into Texas with his mother in search of a new life, Joaquín receives help and friendship from Prietita a brave young Mexican American girl.

      How We Are Smart

      Musician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!

      Etched in Clay

      The acclaimed biography-in-verse about the life and times of Dave, an enslaved potter who inscribed his works with short poems during the years leading up to the Civil War.

      Hammering for Freedom

      The inspirational story of William "Bill" Lewis, a hardworking blacksmith who slowly saved his money and bought the freedom of each and every member of his enslaved family.

      The Story of Movie Star Anna May Wong

      This entry in the innovative "Story" line of chapter-book biographies focuses on Anna May Wong, whose trail-blazing career in Hollywood broke new ground for future generations of Asian American actors.

      Tiny Stitches

      The life story of Vivien Thomas, an African American surgical technician who developed the first procedure used to perform open-heart surgery on children.

      Growing Peace

      This stunning photo-essay for children is a story of coexistence, focusing on Jewish, Muslim, and Christian families in a Ugandan village who created a Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative and learned to live and work together peacefully.

      Quiet Hero

      A biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.

      Paul Robeson

      An updated and redesigned edition of an award-winning biography of Paul Robeson, who overcame racial discrimination to become an international entertainer and civil rights activist. Includes a new introduction and afterword by the author, focusing on Robeson's legacy.

      Dear Mrs. Parks

      On a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.

      The School the Aztec Eagles Built

      A photo-illustrated book about the Aztec Eagles, Mexico's World War II Air Force squadron interwoven with the story of Sergeant Angel Bocanegra, whose service was rewarded with the building of a school in his village.

      The Story of Civil War Hero Robert Smalls

      This exciting entry in the "Story of" line of chapter-book biographies introduces readers to Robert Smalls, an enslaved steamboat wheelman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War and escaped with his family and crew to freedom.

      Surfer of the Century

      The true story of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, six-time Olympic swimming champion and legendary surfer who popularized surfing around the world.

      All the Stars Denied

      In a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Pura Belpré Award Winner Guadalupe García McCall tackles the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.

      Audiobook Edition

      She Was the First!

      A timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm.

      Parrots Over Puerto Rico

      A nonfiction picture book about the history of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican parrot, which was brought back from the brink of extinction. Also available in Spanish.

      Baseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition

      Twenty-five years ago, Baseball Saved Us changed the picture-book landscape with its honest story of a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II. This anniversary edition will introduce new readers to this modern-day classic.

      Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A young Mayan girl isn't allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, so with a little ingenuity she discovers how to repurpose plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Based on an actual recycling movement in Guatemala.

      The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A bilingual biography of Pura Belpré, New York City's first Latina librarian.

      Sharuko

      A fascinating bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history.

      Martí's Song for Freedom

      A bilingual biography of José Martí, who dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty-abolishment of slavery, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual independence from colonialism for all Latinos. Written in verse with excerpts from Martí's seminal work, Versos sencillos.

      Brothers in Hope

      Based on heartbreaking yet inspirational true events in the lives of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Brothers in Hope is a story of remarkable courage, and an amazing testament to the unyielding power of the human spirit.

      Ahimsa

      In this historical middle-grade novel, Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when Anjali's mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work.

      Twenty-two Cents

      A biography of 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who revolutionized global antipoverty efforts by developing the innovative economic concept of micro-lending.

      I Am Alfonso Jones

      The Hate U Give meets The Lovely Bones in this unflinching graphic novel about the afterlife of a young man killed by an off-duty police officer, co-illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist John Jennings.

      In Her Hands

      A recreation of events from the childhood and early career of Augusta Savage, a pioneering female sculptor and major figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

      The Protest (Confetti Kids #10)

      In this new book in the popular Confetti Kids series, Lily and her friends organize a protest in order to save their neighborhood public garden from being demolished.

      A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

      Bilingual English/Japanese. A young girl finds things to be joyful about in the Topaz Internment Camp.

      Louis Sockalexis

      A biography of Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Indian and the first Native American to play professional baseball, focusing on his formative years and culminating in an historic game at New York's Polo Grounds in 1897.

      Allie's Basketball Dream

      Allie's story of self-determination is one that young athletes, both boys and girls, will recognize. Perfect for anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of practicing and playing hard, Allie's Basketball Dream is a spirited tribute to perseverance.

      Super Cilantro Girl / La superniña del cilantro

      An empowering story by former US poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera about a young girl who uses her newfound superpowers to rescue her mamá from the United States-Mexico border.

      Catching the Moon

      The spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become "Toni Stone," the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.

      Sparkle Boy

      Young Casey loves sparkly things, just like his older sister, who does not approve until an encounter with teasing bullies helps her learn to accept and respect Casey for who he is.

      Drum, Chavi, Drum! / ¡Toca, Chavi, Toca!

      Who says girls can't play drums? The beat of Chavi's congas livens up her entire neighborhood. When she's not picked to drum in Miami's Calle Ocho festival, she decides to do something about it!

      Destiny's Gift

      Destiny loves words, and her favorite place in the world is Mrs. Wade's bookstore, where words abound.

      Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel

      In this bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the US, Lakas, an all-American boy of Filipino descent, helps his new friends fight eviction from their home .

      Xochitl and the Flowers / Xóchitl, la Niña de las Flores

      Bilingual English/Spanish. Miles away from their home in El Salvador, Xochitl (SOH-cheel) and her family make a new home in the United States, but nothing is the same.

      The People Shall Continue

      Republished for its fortieth anniversary, this powerful story by renowned Acoma Pueblo poet and storyteller Simon J. Ortiz traces the history of Native / Indigenous people of North America from the time of creation to the present.

      Malala Yousafzai

      The inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who has become an international activist for universal education, with beautiful collage illustrations by award-winning artist Susan L. Roth.

      Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

      Nine-year-old Maria Singh learns to play softball just like her heroes in the All-American Girls' League, while her parents and neighbors are struggling through World War II, working for India's independence, and trying to stay on their farmland.

      Audiobook Edition

      679 in stock

    • 201
      Fluent English
      Collection of 201 books: $2,434.85

      Baseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition

      Twenty-five years ago, Baseball Saved Us changed the picture-book landscape with its honest story of a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II. This anniversary edition will introduce new readers to this modern-day classic.

      Caravan

      Through the story of ten-year-old Jura's first caravan trip with his father, Lawrence McKay, Jr. describes the adventures one boy experiences on the journey to young adulthood.

      Catching the Moon

      The spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become "Toni Stone," the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.

      Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures

      A photographic exploration comparing celebrations in seven indigenous world cultures and the United States, highlighting common rituals such as body decoration, music, and dance.

      Coming to America

      A photo-essay of a Muslim family from Egypt; their experiences living in America; and the sacrifices they make to have a better life.

      Confetti

      The renowned poet Pat Mora celebrates the culture and landscape of the Southwest through the eyes of a Mexican American girl.

      Cool Melons- Turn to Frogs!

      For hundreds of years, school children in Japan have been introduced to poetry through the work of Issa.

      Crazy Horse's Vision

      The true story of the great Sioux warrior who, as a young boy, defies tradition and seeks a vision on his own in hopes of saving his people.

      Dear Mrs. Parks

      On a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.

      Destiny's Gift

      Destiny loves words, and her favorite place in the world is Mrs. Wade's bookstore, where words abound.

      Dia's Story Cloth

      A Hmong American tells of her people's search for freedom.

      Estela's Swap

      A Mexican American girl learns to value the act of giving when she attends her first swap meet.

      Everglades Forever

      A photo-essay about the Florida Everglades, its unique ecosystem, and the efforts currently underway to restore this "Wetland of International Importance," told within the framework of a class study project and visit to the Everglades.

      Frederick Douglass

      The story of the African American abolitionist who, in one dramatic incident, discovered the meaning of freedom.

      First Come the Zebra

      The story of two young Kenyan boys, one Maasai and one Kikuyu, who find a way to overcome their traditional rivalries and become friends.

      George Crum and the Saratoga Chip

      An account of the life and career of George Crum, a biracial chef who is credited with the invention of the potato chip at a Saratoga Springs, New York, restaurant in 1853. Based on historical records.

      Gettin' Through Thursday

      A young African American boy experiences the love and support of his family as they try to make ends meet each week.

      Goldfish and Chrysanthemums

      A Chinese American girl helps preserve her grandmother's childhood memories of China by creating a special garden for her in America.

      Heroes

      A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.

      Home At Last

      A sympathetic tale of a mother-daughter bond and overcoming adversity, brought to life by the vivid illustrations of Felipe Davalos.

      How We Are Smart

      Musician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!

      Howard Thurman's Great Hope

      Born in segregated Daytona, Florida, in 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life--a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father's wishes and his own dreams.