Yes, basketball and reading can, and do, go together!
Not only are there many teen books about basketball and basketball players, there are also some organizations that encourage both sports and literature together.
Wade's World Foundation: "Every Child Deserves a Shot"
Chicago Bulls player Dwyane Wade worked to create this foundation to encourage literacy and to give back to his community. Through "Reading Takes You Far" 1,000 books were donated to public school libraries in Chicago for every point scored by Dywane, for a total of 18,000 books! He has also partnered with James Patterson to talk about their love of books.
Student Athletes and Literacy
A lot of students want to become professional athletes when they grow up, but unfortunately only about 1%-10% of college athletes go on to play professionally (See more here). At the same time, traditional education is left by the wayside. This makes it incredibly important to encourage education as well as support participation in sports. One way we can do this is to offer literature to encourage students' love of reading mixed with their love of sports.
Here are some great books that not only are well-written, but specifically tie into basketball and other sports!
Basketball on the brain? Check out these basketball stories picked by Chicago Public Library's teen services librarians.
