Sports-Forward Books for Fans of the Movie "Space Jam: A New Legacy" | Read-Alikes

These elementary and middle grade books will appeal to fans of the new Space Jam film starring LeBron James, in theaters and streaming on HBO Max from July 16.

Warner Bros.

 

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Theaters and HBO Max. July 16, 2021.

LeBron James stars in this sequel to the popular 1996 Michael Jordan/Bugs Bunny film. When the ­basketball star’s son is kidnapped by Al-G Rhythm—an evil computer algorithm played by Don Cheadle—James must team up with Bugs and his fellow Looney Tunes characters to compete in an epic basketball game to win his son’s freedom. Young viewers who love the movie should find something to like in these titles, too.


READ-ALIKES

I Promise by LeBron James, illus. by Nina Mata.
Gr 1–4—Fans of the movie will want to check out the basketball star’s own picture book, an uplifting affirmation inspired by the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise program, which provides programs and support to at-risk students to help them succeed.

Weird but True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletics.
Gr 1–6
—Readers who appreciate the movie’s wacky humor will love learning these unusual facts about all kinds of sports.

Power Forward by Hena Khan.
Gr 2–5—Fourth grade basketball player Zayd Saleem, who is Muslim, wants nothing more than to land a spot on the Gold Team. But when he skips violin rehearsals to practice, he’s busted and banned from basketball. Can he convince his parents to let him try out? Young basketball fans passionate about their sport will definitely relate to this first book of a series.

Camp Average by Craig Battle.
Gr 4–7—Eleven-year-old white camper Mack Jones leads a rebellion when a new ­hyper-competitive camp director takes over the formerly low-key sports camp. The blend of humor and sports action in this first book of a series should appeal to fans of Space Jam and any sports fans who love to laugh.


Abby Johnson is the collection development leader at Floyd County (IN) Library.

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