19 Oct / Game Set Match Champion Arthur Ashe by Crystal Hubbard, illustrated by Kevin Belford
To better appreciate this biography of tennis legend Arthur Ashe – first-ever African American Grand Slam champion, #1 tennis champion in the world – read it backwards. That is, turn to the back and first read the “Author’s Note” on the last page.
Why? Because author Crystal Hubbard inserts her own touching, memorable story of the two short encounters she had with Ashe when she was 8, who remembered not only her name from a previous autograph signing, but the names of her sisters, as well: “Mr. Ashe, a man who had conquered a sport typically closed to people of color, who had walked with dignitaries and seen the world, remembered a little girl with pigtails, who didn’t like to play tennis.”
That is the caring, gracious spirit of the late Arthur Ashe, whom Hubbard captures with a fitting mixture of awe and familiarity in this new biography for younger readers. Growing up in segregated 1950s Richmond, Virginia, Ashe had to endure and overcome extraordinary challenges to just get court time.
His training took him far from home, eventually landing him at UCLA on scholarship, the first given to an African American tennis player. His tournaments took him all over the world … but Ashe never forgot how he had been nurtured and encouraged by many others to get to the top. As a champion, he “use[d] his fame as a tool to help other people,” especially in the struggle for equal rights, on and off the court.
Hubbard adds a thorough “Afterword,” which continues Ashe’s life story beyond his tennis career. She also includes a chronology of his short but accomplished life of just 49 years. Hubbard’s book is a gentle, inspiring reminder that championship is not about winning the grandest prize, but even more important are the choices you make in how you live your life that lead to true victory.
Readers: Children
Published: 2010