Babe Conquers the World: The Legendary Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias - Hardcover

Wallace, Rich; Wallace, Sandra Neil

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1590789814 ISBN 13: 9781590789810

Publisher: Calkins Creek, 2014

Synopsis

Famous female athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias had one driving goal: to become the greatest athlete who ever lived. But there was more to Babe than just sports.

Babe had a meteoric rise -- to famed basketball player, Olympic medalist, and top female golfer. But her life included many controversies surrounding her upbringing, personality, marriage, and even her early death. This action-packed true story of a woman ESPN ranks as #10 of the top North American athletes of the twentieth century is a fascinating biography of a historical sports figure.  Ideal for Women's History Month, the book includes personal and professional photographs, quotes, a bibliography, and an index.

About this title

About the Author:

Sandra Neil Wallace had a lengthy career as a news anchor and ESPN sportscaster before writing realistic fiction and nonfiction for young readers. A pioneer in the journalism field, she was the first woman to cover the National Hockey League on network TV. Selected as a promising new voice in children's literature by The Horn Book, Wallace's titles have been named to state and national awards lists including Bank Street College's Best Children's Book of the Year, ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, and Booklist's Top 10 Sports Books for Youth. Visit sandraneilwallace.com.

Rich Wallace has written more than three dozen novels for children and teenagers, beginning with Wrestling Sturbridge, which the American Library Association selected as one of the top 100 YA books of the twentieth century. His recent forays into nonfiction include the acclaimed Babe Conquers the World and Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights (Calkins Creek, 2016). Visit richwallacebooks.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5 Up—The Wallaces pair up to tackle a great historical sports figure in this engrossing biography. Mildred Ella "Babe" Didriksen Zaharias may not be as well-known as Babe Ruth, but she broke countless records, leaped over age-old boundaries, and paved the way for professional women athletes across several arenas. A champion basketball player, an Olympic track-and-field star, and career golfer, Babe didn't let obstacles stand in the way of her success. The authors detail her trajectory from the daughter of a Norwegian immigrant born in a working-class Texas neighborhood to record wins at the 1932 Olympics (still not broken to this day) to her last days as she fought cancer. Chapters are organized around the various hurdles she faced ("Babe vs. The Boys," "Babe vs. Tradition"). Text is broken up by illuminating quotations and dynamic period photos. Ample historical background is interlaced within the narrative, giving context that will help readers understand Didriksen Zaharias's lasting impact. Especially engaging are the anecdotes that illustrate the subject's faults as well as her strengths: Babe's showmanship and drive often alienated her teammates, but her strength and leadership also enabled her to provide for her ailing parents and impoverished siblings. Extensive back matter makes this title perfect for reports, and this exemplar text should be a staple for all collections looking to diversify their biography, sports, and women's history offerings.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Calkins Creek
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1590789814
• ISBN 13: 9781590789810
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272