Gridiron: Stories from 100 Years of the National Football League

by Fred Bowen (Author) James E Ransome (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

This accessible, informative, and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the 100th anniversary of the NFL and is the perfect keepsake for football fans of all ages.

The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people every year. But it wasn't always like this. In the last one hundred years, football has changed from a poorly organized, often overlooked sport to America's favorite pastime. Here are the stories of that remarkable transformation. The stories of the greatest players, the most successful coaches, the most memorable games--and the amazing plays that made us gasp as we watched them in stadiums and on televisions all over America.

Discover the league's scrappy beginnings in an automobile showroom, and early players like Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Relive the very first championship game, played indoors after a circus had visited, and famous games like the Ice Bowl. See the NFL at war, and meet some of the remarkable athletes who helped desegregate the league. Learn how the draft came into existence, and about the teams that strove for that almost impossible goal--a perfect season.

Veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen brings his in-depth knowledge and lively prose to these fascinating stories, and award-winning artist James E. Ransome has created stunning full-page illustrations that bring the sport of football to life like never before.

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7—Bowen describes the history of the NFL, from its humble Ohio beginnings up to the 2019 Super Bowl. The text includes famous games, players, coaches, and events that helped shape the sport into the powerhouse it is today. Shorter chapters are divided into quarters, which help create an easy-to-follow, linear time line. Bowen's words flow best when describing on-the-field action, making readers feel as if they're watching the game in front of them. Ransome's complex sketch and watercolor illustrations break up the text-heavy pages and often use double layouts. Back matter includes an index, a bibliography (consisting of books and articles but not any specific websites besides Pro Football Reference), and a list of athletes and coaches featured in the endpapers. The chapters briefly discuss racism, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the evolution of the NFL draft, and the West Coast offense. While there is enough substance within the text to be used for school reports, it might be difficult for younger readers to parse out the pertinent information amongst the fun anecdotes. VERDICT A book for die-hard football fans who want to learn more about the NFL's storied past. Purchase to supplement football-themed sections that heavily feature team-centric books.—Kerri Williams, Center Moriches Free P.L., NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Fred Bowen
Fred Bowen is the author of Gridiron and more than twenty additional children's books about sports, and for the past twenty years has written the weekly KidsPost column in The Washington Post. Fred lives in Maryland with his family. Visit him at FredBowen.com.

James E. Ransome's highly acclaimed illustrations for Before She Was Harriet received the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. His other award-winning titles include the Coretta Scott King winner The Creation; Coretta Scott King Honor Book Uncle Jed's Barbershop; Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt; and Let My People Go, winner of the NAACP Image Award. James is also a recipient of the ALA Children's Literature Legacy Award. He frequently collaborates with his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome, and their books include Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams and Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis. James is a professor and coordinator of the MFA Illustration Graduate Program at Syracuse University. He lives in New York's Hudson River Valley region with his family. Visit James at JamesRansome.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781481481120
Lexile Measure
940
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date
July 28, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF025210 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/20th Century
JNF007100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Sports & Recreation
JNF054050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Sports & Recreation | Football
Library of Congress categories
History
United States
Football
National Football League

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!