Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth To Become Stars

Gr 6–8—In this collection of profiles, the authors outline the early lives and significant challenges of 11 standout athletes, tracing some of the personal traits that helped them succeed despite long odds. Only one of the athletes is a woman, tennis great Althea Gibson. Her chapter is especially motivational, detailing her endurance of hateful attacks and racist barriers. At the close of each chapter, the athlete weighs the demands he or she has faced and reflects on important lessons learned. Several athletes describe sexual and physical abuse, the loss or absence of parents, or, in the case of Congolese-born NBA forward Serge Ibaka, coming-of-age in a war zone. Though the narrative is fluid throughout, the authors occasionally lapse into play-by-play patter, describing, for example, basketball star Stephen Curry "knocking down threes," meaning three-point throws, though elsewhere they take pains to define elementary aspects of the sports. In an afterword, Gregory Zuckerman credits the idea for the book to one of his sons, both of whom are listed as coauthors, a potential selling point.