Books about sport
Whether you prefer football or cycling, ballet or basketball, there's something for everyone on our list of sporting books, which are perfect for children aged 8-14 years-old.
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Fat Boy Swim
Author: Catherine Forde
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
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Fat Boy Swim
Author: Catherine Forde
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
This is a wonderful story, brilliantly told in the Glaswegian dialect, and despite containing distressing accounts of bullying, it…
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Fantastically Great Women: Sports Stars and their Stories
Author: Kate Pankhurst
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Fantastically Great Women: Sports Stars and their Stories
Author: Kate Pankhurst
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
This inspirational non-fiction book celebrates the achievements of eight fantastically great women from the word of sport.
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Friendly Matches
Author: Allan Ahlberg Illustrator: Fritz Wegner
Interest level: 6-9
Reading age: 6+
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Friendly Matches
Author: Allan Ahlberg Illustrator: Fritz Wegner
Interest level: 6-9
Reading age: 6+
Friendly Matches is an entertaining, and at times thought-provoking, collection of poetry about football.
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Tall Story
Author: Candy Gourlay
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Tall Story
Author: Candy Gourlay
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Engagingly told in alternate chapters by four-foot, thirteen year-old Andi, in the UK, and her eight-foot, sixteen year-old half b…
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Pony on the Twelfth Floor
Author: Polly Faber Illustrator: Sarah Jennings
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7+
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Pony on the Twelfth Floor
Author: Polly Faber Illustrator: Sarah Jennings
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7+
This hilarious and heart-warming chapter book combines an entertaining plot and a diverse range of characters with delightfully fu…
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Wonder Goal
Author: Michael Foreman
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Wonder Goal
Author: Michael Foreman
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
Being the new boy on the football team is no fun, especially for one little boy who trips over the shoelaces his team-mates have t…
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Roller Girl
Author: Victoria Jamieson
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 9+
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Roller Girl
Author: Victoria Jamieson
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 9+
It’s really exciting to be starting at Roller Derby summer camp, but less so when Astrid finds herself doing it alone. A fantastic…
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Willy the Champ
Author: Anthony Browne
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 6+
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Willy the Champ
Author: Anthony Browne
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 6+
Another book about Willy the chimpanzee who doesn't conform to the macho stereotypes and so comes in for a lot of hard times and b…
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Fantasy Sports
Author: Sam Bosma
Interest level: 7-12
Reading age: 7-9
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Fantasy Sports
Author: Sam Bosma
Interest level: 7-12
Reading age: 7-9
Magic and sport are rarely combined in stories for children, especially with a girl protagonist you can root for from the first pa…
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Dreamer Ballerina
Author: Sarah Rubin
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
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Dreamer Ballerina
Author: Sarah Rubin
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
A dance story with a difference, Dreamer Ballerina tells the story of small town girl Casey Quinn, who just can’t keep her t…
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The One Dollar Horse
Author: Lauren St John
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
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The One Dollar Horse
Author: Lauren St John
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 10+
Casey Blue lives with her father in a tower block in Hackney, London , but despite her urban existence, she dreams of one day beco…
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Seconds Out
Author: Dan Tunstall Illustrator: Dave Shephard
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 9+
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Seconds Out
Author: Dan Tunstall Illustrator: Dave Shephard
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 9+
Andy Cope’s self-worth centres on his reputation as the hardest lad in Year 10 – a reputation he frequently has to fig…
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Cyborg Cat: Rise of the Parsons Road Gang
Author: Ade Adepitan
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
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Cyborg Cat: Rise of the Parsons Road Gang
Author: Ade Adepitan
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
This first book by Paralympian and TV presenter Ade Adepitan offers a fascinating picture of his childhood. With a light touch and…
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Hero on a Bicycle
Author: Shirley Hughes
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 11+
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Hero on a Bicycle
Author: Shirley Hughes
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 11+
The first novel from much-loved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes is a thrilling and moving story about a boy and his bicycle,…
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Max the Champion
Author: Sean Stockdale and Alexandra Strick Illustrator: Ros Asquith
Interest level: 4+
Reading age: 5+
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Max the Champion
Author: Sean Stockdale and Alexandra Strick Illustrator: Ros Asquith
Interest level: 4+
Reading age: 5+
This inclusive book is about a boy who loves sport, his friends, and school - and has a vivid imagination
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The Silent Striker
Author: Pete Kalu
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 13+
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The Silent Striker
Author: Pete Kalu
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 13+
Marcus lives and breathes football. He might even have the makings of a professional player. But Marcus' life is about to change. …
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Rugby Flyer
Author: Gerard Siggins
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Rugby Flyer
Author: Gerard Siggins
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Vividly drawn, engaging characters and short, sparky chapters keep the action fast-paced in this absorbing story set at a rugby sc…
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The Boyhood of Burglar Bill
Author: Allan Ahlberg
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Boyhood of Burglar Bill
Author: Allan Ahlberg
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
It is 1953, and in Oldbury Town there is to be a football competition. Rood End Primary enters its two best teams, but there are a…
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