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The first young readers’ anthology of new fiction and poetry focusing on girls and sports.
Years ago, I came across two short story collections that planted the seeds for Girls Got Game. The first was Companions of Our Youth: Stories by Women for Young People’s Magazines, 1865-1900, edited by Jane Benardete and Phyllis Moe (Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1980). The second was A Century of Children’s Baseball Stories, edited by Debra Dagavarian (Stadium Books, 1990). Both of these books presented short stories from the past, and they fired my imagination with tales of days gone by.
As a non-fiction author, I’ve often used fiction as a research tool. Reading contemporary books and stories is a terrific way to get a feel for the pace and environment of life in the past. In that regard, it occurred to me that today’s fiction doesn’t accurately reflect the presence of sports in girls’ lives. I wanted to create a collection that showed girls scoring goals, winning games, and learning about life as they take part in sports.
So I contacted authors—and some poets—who I knew or suspected had been athletes themselves. Most jumped at the chance to contribute to Girls Got Game, even if it meant temporarily putting other work aside. Serving as editor gave me an inside look at the creative processes of some award-winning authors and poets, and I did my best to learn from them. Like basketball and soccer, Girls Got Game was a team effort. Each woman’s contribution was strengthened by the participation of the others.
Contributors to Girls Got Game include Linnea Due, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Christa Champion, Felicia E. Halpert, Jacqueline Woodson, Nola Thacker, Nancy Boutilier, Lucy Jane Bledsoe, June A. English, Grace Butcher, Pat Connolly, and me!
What the Critics Said
“In this singular collection, Macy has gathered nine original short stories and nine poems in which women writers give voice to their own passions, and often their own experiences and memories, with regard to athleticism and sports….[An] energizing and thoughtful collection.”
—Cooperative Children’s Book Center, April 23, 2001
“With its original topics and insights, this thematic anthology should find a place in all libraries that serve middle-schoolers.”
—Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2001
“This earnest and high-minded anthology can be dipped into or devoured in one sitting; however it is read, it should empower girls and guide them along their paths toward becoming strong, independent women.”
—School Library Journal, July 1, 2001
Awards and Distinctions
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Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2002 (University of Wisconsin)
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Top 10 Sports Books for Youth (Booklist Magazine, September 1, 2001)
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Amelia Bloomer List, 2002 (Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table, American Library Association)
Links:
Buy Girls Got Game from Amazon.com
Order an autographed copy.
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