Venus williams biography book
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams
May 1, 2020
“Whatever you become, you become in your head first.” - Venus & Serena’s mother.
Winner of 2018 Eureka Silver Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (CA Reading Association).
Extremely well written with illustrations that are worthy of stopping to look at closely. The reader feels compelled to turn each page. On some pages, the illustrations (by the author’s husband) make the reader pause and think more carefully about the gravity of what the author is saying. Wow. They had to learn how to play tennis under those conditions? On other pages, the illustrations reveal the force and power of the sisters’ talent as well as the strong bond of these sisters. The author builds on these themes with quotes and descriptions of small moments like two sisters sitting in bed, looking out the window asking, “Do you really think I can do it?” and the father bringing in “busloads of neighborhood kids” to taunt the sisters so they wouldn’t be bothered by this during real tournaments.
Would read this aloud to grades 3-5. OR would offer this as a title for small groups to read and discuss. OR would book talk this and then leave in the classroom library to be snatched up.
If you're going to book talk this - I'd project the cover (with the title) and ask students to spend a few moments looking closely. You might ask, "What do you notice?" or "What is the illustrator trying to convey?" and "What do you think the title means?" You might also read aloud the page that starts with "By the time Venus was four she could hit five hundred tennis balls at every twelve, Venus announced she would win Wimbledon" (about page 13). And then ask, "Who wants to read to find out if she does?"
If you're going to read this aloud, I'd read aloud twice. Once for the joy of it. And then again (maybe during another lesson), stopping at particular points to ask questions for students to discuss in small groups like:
*What does "game changers" mean at this point in the story? (stop in three or four places)
*How does the author convey the idea of "team" as more than Venus and Serena? (Dad and mom were supportive in numerous at point where this is apparent)
*How does the illustrator convey the difference between the courts in Compton and the courts in professional matches? (Including the people watching) Why is this important to consider?
*If you just looked at the illustrations on each of the pages that includes both sisters, what would you learn about them?
*How do the author and illustrator convey the theme of perseverance? Friendship? Team?
Students can also choose one of these questions (that jumps out at them as important) to respond to with their own illustration and written response.
So much potential!!! I'd also read aloud or share a second and third source on these sisters and their relationship. A book on my list to read is Sisters and Champions by Howard Bryant. Oh! And don't skip looking closely at the end covers and reading the author's note at the end. The author's note might even be a "second source" to read aloud and ask, "What did I just add to my learning?"
I'd PARTNER THIS BOOK WITH TITLES LIKE-
*Girls with Guts: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records (Gonzales, 2019)
*Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women’s Sports (Rockliff, 2019)
*Trudy's Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm (Macy, 2017)
*Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switer's Historic Boston Marathon (Chaffee, 2019)
*Yusra Swims (Abery, 2020)
Winner of 2018 Eureka Silver Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (CA Reading Association).
Extremely well written with illustrations that are worthy of stopping to look at closely. The reader feels compelled to turn each page. On some pages, the illustrations (by the author’s husband) make the reader pause and think more carefully about the gravity of what the author is saying. Wow. They had to learn how to play tennis under those conditions? On other pages, the illustrations reveal the force and power of the sisters’ talent as well as the strong bond of these sisters. The author builds on these themes with quotes and descriptions of small moments like two sisters sitting in bed, looking out the window asking, “Do you really think I can do it?” and the father bringing in “busloads of neighborhood kids” to taunt the sisters so they wouldn’t be bothered by this during real tournaments.
Would read this aloud to grades 3-5. OR would offer this as a title for small groups to read and discuss. OR would book talk this and then leave in the classroom library to be snatched up.
If you're going to book talk this - I'd project the cover (with the title) and ask students to spend a few moments looking closely. You might ask, "What do you notice?" or "What is the illustrator trying to convey?" and "What do you think the title means?" You might also read aloud the page that starts with "By the time Venus was four she could hit five hundred tennis balls at every twelve, Venus announced she would win Wimbledon" (about page 13). And then ask, "Who wants to read to find out if she does?"
If you're going to read this aloud, I'd read aloud twice. Once for the joy of it. And then again (maybe during another lesson), stopping at particular points to ask questions for students to discuss in small groups like:
*What does "game changers" mean at this point in the story? (stop in three or four places)
*How does the author convey the idea of "team" as more than Venus and Serena? (Dad and mom were supportive in numerous at point where this is apparent)
*How does the illustrator convey the difference between the courts in Compton and the courts in professional matches? (Including the people watching) Why is this important to consider?
*If you just looked at the illustrations on each of the pages that includes both sisters, what would you learn about them?
*How do the author and illustrator convey the theme of perseverance? Friendship? Team?
Students can also choose one of these questions (that jumps out at them as important) to respond to with their own illustration and written response.
So much potential!!! I'd also read aloud or share a second and third source on these sisters and their relationship. A book on my list to read is Sisters and Champions by Howard Bryant. Oh! And don't skip looking closely at the end covers and reading the author's note at the end. The author's note might even be a "second source" to read aloud and ask, "What did I just add to my learning?"
I'd PARTNER THIS BOOK WITH TITLES LIKE-
*Girls with Guts: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records (Gonzales, 2019)
*Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women’s Sports (Rockliff, 2019)
*Trudy's Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm (Macy, 2017)
*Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switer's Historic Boston Marathon (Chaffee, 2019)
*Yusra Swims (Abery, 2020)
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