Junior Library Guild

• Kids—male or female, sports fan or otherwise—will find inspiration in Samantha Gordon, a hard worker whose extraordinary talent is only part of her success. Sam’s fearless pursuit of her goals led to opportunities she had never imagined, including being invited to the Super Bowl and becoming the first female football player to appear on a Wheaties box.
• Sam’s narration is friendly, accessible, and frank: “I was just playing football the best I could, but other people thought I was doing something special.” And while she is proud of her best plays, she also admits her more embarrassing moments (with a bit of regret and a lot of good humor).
• Text boxes highlight trivia including Sam’s stats, motivational quotes from Sam’s mentors, and facts about groundbreaking male and female athletes. Photographs of Sam, her family, and her heroes will make readers feel as though they’reexperiencing Sam’s successes along with her.
• Sam’s enthusiastic and supportive family, as well as the male coaches and teammates—who never questioned that a small girl could become the fastest runner in her football league—are also compelling role models.