Based on the true story of soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mia and Friends follows a group of young women who made history at the 1999 Women's World Cup!

Despite being named after a famous ballerina, little Mia Hamm never cared for pirouettes. Instead, she chased the ball: baseball, basketball, and especially soccer. Since she was often the only girl on her sports teams, she had a hard time making friends. But when fifteen-year-old Mia made the U.S. women's national soccer team, everything changed. All around her, young women tackled and dribbled, passed and kicked, scored, and screamed. They were just like her--but even more skilled. For Mia to improve, she had to play up to the levels of Michelle Akers, Briana Scurry, Brandi Chastain, and so many others. She was determined not to let her team down.

Based on the true story of soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mia and Friends follows a group of young women who made history at the 1999 Women's World Cup!

Despite being named after a famous ballerina, little Mia Hamm never cared for pirouettes. Instead, she chased the ball: baseball, basketball, and especially soccer. Since she was often the only girl on her sports teams, she had a hard time making friends. But when fifteen-year-old Mia made the U.S. women's national soccer team, everything changed. All around her, young women tackled and dribbled, passed and kicked, scored, and screamed. They were just like her--but even more skilled. For Mia to improve, she had to play up to the levels of Michelle Akers, Briana Scurry, Brandi Chastain, and so many others. She was determined not to let her team down.

The remarkable true story of how a young girl's never-wavering fascination with the world's tallest animal leads her to become the first giraffologist: Dr. Anne Innis Dagg.

Anne was three years old when she first laid eyes on a giraffe. As her blue eyes gazed into the giraffe's big brown eyes at the zoo, she was mesmerized. And she never forgot it. Her desire to study the beautiful, graceful creatures followed her from preschool to graduate school. Often, she was laughed at for her interest. The scientific study of giraffes didn't exist at the time. And it certainly wasn't an appropriate pursuit for a woman -- or so she was told. So, Anne decided she would teach herself about her favorite animal. She traveled to South Africa alone -- and shocked everyone by studying giraffes in the wild!

This inspiring picture book biography by Karlin Gray is based on the true story of Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, the pioneering female scientist who was the world's first giraffologist and the first scientist to study wild animal behavior in Africa (four years before Jane Goodall!). Aparna Varma's expressive art evocatively brings the story to life. A core theme is how Anne never abandons her interest in giraffes, despite setback after setback. When she was rejected by academia, she became a successful writer, completing over 20 books. A 2018 documentary about her life brought long-overdue recognition to her contributions. This book supports a growth mindset in overcoming adversity and charting one's own path, and character education lessons on resilience. It has strong curriculum connections in life science and the characteristics of living things. The end matter includes an afterword, bibliography and the author's Q&A with Dr. Dagg, which adds personal details to her life story.

Serena Williams is one of the biggest names in sports, but she grew up the littlest of five girls in her family. While sharing a room and playing tennis with her older sisters, Serena had to figure out how to be her own person--on and off the court. This empowering biography showcases the rise of the youngest Williams sister and how her family played a part in her path to becoming the strong woman and star athlete she is today.

Bold, colorful illustrations highlight the tight sisterhood and tennis action of Serena's childhood and teenage years. This true story about a tennis icon will inspire littlest siblings everywhere to forge their own path and leave their mark.