Tennis

This exciting, well-written book would be great for children in KS2 and lower KS3.

The story follows Gemma and her family, delving into a secret that Gemma does not know about. This modern story intertwines themes of friendship, family relationships, courage and tennis are gripping throughout. Getting to know Gemma throughout the book, the reader comes to understand the emotions that the character is feeling. There are relatable themes and characters in the book that add to the excitement. This book could be relatable to children who may not have close relationships with their wider family or have close bonds with one main caregiver.

Getting to find out the family secret and how Gemma deals with this shows the sensitivity and courage of her character. The book is full of funny moments that a wide variety of children will enjoy. It is a lovely read and one that could be used as a class novel or recommended to a wide range of readers. As the story centres around tennis and learning more about the sport, this would be a great book to encourage children who have an interest in sport or during Wimbledon. It was a great read and is highly recommended.

This short, colour-illustrated chapter book for newly independent readers is based on the true story of Lottie Dod, a talented young athlete in the late 1880s who proved that she could do whatever she set her mind to.

Lottie was born to wealthy parents in the north of England. Lottie and her siblings were tutored at home and prevented from venturing outside the family estate. When a grass tennis court was created in the grounds, just as the sport of lawn tennis was gaining popularity, Lottie discovered that she had real talent for the game. Despite her mother’s refusal to allow her out to participate in a competition, Lottie sneaked out early and travelled to Manchester to take part. This is the start of a competitive career which sees Lottie winning many tournaments, culminating in lifting the Wimbledon trophy at the age of 15!

She also discovered a talent for golf, archery and hockey, amongst other sports. She became, perhaps, the world’s first female sports superstar. There are wonderful messages about self-belief in this story, and themes of resilience, female participation in sport and determination abound.