Are You Ready for Some Football? Books for the Super Bowl

Football season is nearly over (it's been over for some of us for a while, AHEM). Whether you're cheering for the Patriots or the Falcons (cheering AGAINST one might be more like it for some of us), here are some very cool football books that will keep you entertained until the big game: 

What is the Super Bowl? is a fun and informative guide to the history of the game, including famous fumbles, last minute wins, and even highlights from halftime shows. 

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Football is a sequel of sorts to his superb Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball.  If you want a riveting history of the Super Bowl (up to XLIX in 2014--this was published in 2015), this is it! 

No More Dead Dogs one of my favorite Gordon Korman titles; as part of his detention sentence, eighth grader Wallace has to attend rehearsals of the school play. Although he initially hates it, he finds himself getting more intrigued with the production! This is super funny and smart. 

Rooster finds a recipe for what he thinks are the best snacks for the Super Bowl--buffalo wings! Setting off to find wings from buffalo, he soon discovers what buffalo wings are really made of (the illustration of when he makes his realization is hysterical). Buffalo Wings is one of my favorite funny read alouds for elementary school students; they will love it (as long as they know what buffalo wings are!). 

If you have a reluctant reader, books with annotated lists, books about world records, and the like are surefire ways to get them to open a book. (Avid readers love them too! I was a huge fan of books like that when I was a kid, and I still do). 1^st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything Football is packed with lists about the best rushers, trick plays, and even best touchdown celebrations! This was published in 2016, so it's as up-to-date as you can get. 

If you're a sports fiction fan, you need to read Tim Green! Children's and YA sports fiction is currently experiencing a renaissance of talented writers who tackle important issues of family, friendship, and other matters (including sports training and sportsmanship issues) in addition to creating exciting sports moments throughout their stories. Left Out is one of Green's most recent stories,featuring a football player with a hearing impairment. 

Poor Mo! It's hard being the smallest and youngest kid on the football team. Luckily, Coach has a plan to develop Mo's football skills and to boost his confidence. If you like Don’t Throw it to Mo, you'll want to read the sequel, Get a Hit, Mo! 

The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way is one of my favorite sports picture book, and a great one to read to elementary school students (you'll want to practice it a bit to make it work--there's a part where you have to read an announcer's voice--but it's worth it). The 1929 Rose Bowl was going well for the University of California Golden Bears...until Roy Riegels ran the wrong way down the field. Can you imagine?! Although it's definitely a funny tale, it conveys a strong message about accepting and learning from mistakes.

If you're interested in more football nonfiction, check out the books shelved in the J 796.332 section.

Jennifer Schultz, Youth Services Librarian, Fauquier County Public Library