Kids Book Index
Cover of Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Memoir

Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Memoir

Misty Wilson, illustrated by David Wilson

In this graphic memoir, Misty Wilson recalls joining her town’s football team in seventh grade. Fiercely competitive and devoted to sports, Misty persuades her best friend Bree to join her, but Bree soon leaves while Misty earns a place in the starting lineup. As the only girl on the team, Misty encounters teammates who support her and one who rejects her presence. Football unfolds alongside uncertain friendships and middle-school social pressures. At home, her enthusiastic stepdad supports her playing, while her mother is overwhelmed caring for young twins. Misty also overlooks her younger sister as she tries to understand where she belongs.

This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.

Back to all books

Book details

Themes
Belonging · Family · Friendship · Sports
Format
Hardcover
Publisher
Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Published
September 27, 2022
Pages
272
ISBN-13
9780063064690
Language
English
Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin–MadisonCCBC Choices
  • 2023Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir
See the original list
All books
Cover of Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American DollMadame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American DollSusan Goldman Rubin, illustrated by Sarah DvojackThis picture-book biography follows Beatrice Alexander, later known professionally as Madame Alexander. The daughter of white Jewish immigrants, she grew up on New York’s Lower East Side and helped in her father’s doll hospital, where dolls were cleaned, repaired, made, and sold. Surrounded by doll parts, she imagined dolls of her own, including durable ones. During World War I, material shortages led her to make cloth dolls dressed as nurses and in old-fashioned clothing. After the war, she sold baby dolls modeled on her daughter to FAO Schwarz, beginning a growing doll-design business.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Cover of Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese AmericanMessy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese AmericanLaura GaoThis graphic memoir follows Laura Gao’s life between memories of early childhood in Wuhan and her experiences in the United States during the pandemic. At home, at school, and beyond, she confronts pressures and conflicts connected to immigration. As a middle-school student, Laura resists her parents’ expectations about mathematics and begins playing basketball; later, she finds connection with other artists. In college, after realizing she is queer, she wrestles with whether and how to tell her family. A return trip to Wuhan as a young adult reunites her with relatives and cousins.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Cover of Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen MisadventureWelcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen MisadventureLewis HancoxIn this graphic memoir, Lewis Hancox looks back on growing up in a small UK town during the early 2000s. Early memories include crushes, clothes, friendships, and difficulties at home, alongside a profound unease with his body. The narrative contrasts Lewis’s present-day perspective with his younger self, Lois, as identity and transition unfold. It also includes recollections from friends and relatives, while an art teacher’s encouragement leads Lois to find transgender community online.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details