This Splash Read collection includes three historical fiction short stories about women in sports. The stories are:

• "Suzanne Lenglen Learns to Play Tennis": Born in Paris in 1899, Suzanne Lenglen struggles to overcome the challenges of asthma. Her father recommends tennis after noticing the game includes limited running. Suanne turns out to be a natural. Suzanne goes on to win many tournaments and eventually becomes the first female professional tennis player.
• "Wilma Rudolph Chases a Dream": Although polio crippled Wilma Rudolph at age five, she wanted to run. In a dream, Wilma sees herself running a race and crossing the finish line as people from all over cheer. As she shares this dream with her family and doctors, they are quick to remind the little girl that she will probably never run during her life. Wilma doesn’t give up and goes on to become the fastest woman on the planet.
• "Alline Sprouse Wins the Championship": A new game called basketball is sweeping the country. Young Alline Sprouse falls in love with the sport and plays every day. She must overcome school budget cuts and injuries on her way to championships and MVP awards.

While Splash Read stories are enjoyed by kids of all ages, they were written to facilitate a conversation between a child and parent or student and teacher. Each story introduces an influential person from history. Stories discuss life skills, challenges, problem-solving, and important issues. We’ve heard positive reviews from kids as young as first graders and as old as 10th graders.