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Summary
Summary
A fascinating dual biography of tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert celebrates the power of equality, respect, and sportsmanship.
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert come from completely different places and play tennis in completely different ways. Chrissie is the all-American girl: practiced, poised, with perfect technique. Martina hails from Czechoslovakia, a Communist country, and her game is ruled by emotion. Everything about them is different, except one thing: they both want to be the best. But as their intense rivalry grows, something else begins to swing into place, and a friendship forms that will outlast all their tennis victories. Phil Bildner and Brett Helquist tell the engaging true story of these two masters of the court as they win title after title -- and, most importantly, the hearts of the fans.
Author Notes
Phil Bildner received a B. A. in political science from Johns Hopkins University in 1990 and a J. D. from New York University School of Law in 1993. He was admitted to the bar in both New York and New Jersey and got a job as an associate at a large Manhattan law firm. After practicing law for a year, he decided to pursue a career in education. He received a master's degree in early childhood and elementary education from Long Island University in 1995. He stopped teaching in 2006 in order to write full time.
His picture books include Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy, The Shot Heard 'Round the World, Twenty-One Elephants, Turkey Bowl, The Hallelujah Flight, and The Soccer Fence. Marvelous Cornelius won the 2016 Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children's Literature. His young adult novels include Playing the Field and Busted. He also co-created the Sluggers series with Loren Long.
In 2007, he began chaperoning student-volunteer trips to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He co-founded The NOLA Tree, a non-profit service organization.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Nonfiction tennis books for kids are in general in short supply, and so are retellings of powerful true rivalries between star players of any sport. Bildner offers kids both in this picture book biography of Martina Navratilova and Chris "Chrissie" Evert. Each woman's story begins in childhood, gently and with minimal text. The book becomes more interesting when the author notes that these two intense rivals were good friends from their first meeting and that each still fought hard to beat the other on the court. They both pushed to be the very best, and then they relaxed together-except for a few years when Navratilova had a coach who wouldn't allow her to be friends with a rival. They met in the finals of the French Open twice, intense duels that Evert won; Navratilova decided then that friendship was more important-and to this day they remain close friends who support each other's off-court charity work. Though Evert and Navratilova are long retired and largely unknown to most kids, their tale imparts a timely moral: friendship and kindness are what matter most. That said, this is likely a shelf-sitter despite a good narrative, strong illustrations, and great factual support that includes a bibliography for students doing reports. VERDICT Though a quality selection for students who need role models and for tennis players seeking idols to emulate, this title will require some handselling on the part of librarians.-Dorcas Hand, formerly at Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bildner (Marvelous Cornelius) and Helquist (The Doll People's Christmas) offer a gripping dual biography of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, two athletes who could not be more different, despite their shared talent. "Chrissie was this All-American girl," writes Bildner. "Patience and poise and precision." Martina, meanwhile, "was all emotion, all the time." Bildner's conversational narrative creates an instant bond with readers ("Keep in mind, this was during the Cold War. You know what the Cold War was, right? No?") as Helquist deploys a series of play-by-play action scenes that capture the speed and intensity of their many tennis matches. But just as important as their competition was the unexpected bond the two women formed off the court: Bildner holds Evert and Navratilova up as an example of how friendship need not always play by the rules. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Sports rivalries are compelling both on and off the court, and Bildner and Helquist bring a particularly notable one to the pages of this picture book about tennis stars Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. In an energetic, conversational tone somewhere between sports commentary and classroom lesson, Bildner tells the very different stories of the two women's starts, beginning with Evert's tennis-focused youth in Florida and Navratilova's childhood in Communist Czechoslovakia. Though their playing styles were vastly different, they were both determined players who each drove the other to train even harder. The circumstances of the Cold War made many expect the rivals to hate each other, but they defied the odds and became great friends. Helquist's spirited acrylic-and-oil illustrations highlight pivotal matches between Evert and Navratilova, and his expert renditions of their facial expressions, which sometimes fill entire pages, bring home the intensity they each brought to their game. While this rivalry existed in a quantifiable world of winners and losers, Bildner emphasizes a different side of competition: No rivalry is ever just about the numbers. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert made each other better players, and better people, too. This spirited, engrossing story, containing an inspiring message and enough information for the fact hungry, is a fantastic addition to all sports collections, particularly ones needing more titles featuring women in sports.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
