Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson

by Sue Stauffacher

ALTHEA IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! Everyone her mama, her daddy, her teacher, even the policeman. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Althea's street in Harlem, watches her play paddle tennis, he sees something pure possibility. Buddy buys Althea her very own stringed tennis racket, and before long, she's on her way to becoming a great athlete - and to proving that she's more than just trouble.Althea Gibson, born in 1927, was the first African American ever to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. Sue Stauffacher's lively text, paired with vibrant paintings by artist Greg Couch, captures the exuberance, ambition, and triumph of this remarkable woman.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Sports, Nonfiction, Childrens, African American, History

Unknown Binding

First published August 14, 2007

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but informative bio of Gibson, the first African-American, male or female to compete and win at Wimbledon. I really liked the energetic and colorful artwork.


Look at her go!


And, look at her win!

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson is a children's picture book written by Sue Stauffacher and illustrated by Greg Couch. It centers on Althea Gibson, who became the first African-American to win at Wimbledon and Forest Hills.

Althea Neale Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title. The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals, then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years.

Stauffacher's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In rhythmic, conversational prose Stauffacher brilliantly capture Gibson's trajectory from feisty, undisciplined tomboy to poised champion. Backmatter includes a timeline and end notes. Couch vibrantly impressionistic pictures depicted the text and life of Gibson extremely well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It depicted the early and professional life of Athea Gibson. Paying specific homage to some of the people who helped Gibson along the way, the narrative ascribes Gibson’s passage from wild child to international celebrity to the acquisition of social as well as technical skills.

All in all, Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson is a wonderful tribute to Gibson's fiery spirit inspirational.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not ashamed to say it. Say the name “Althea Gibson” to me a month ago and you’d have met a blank stare. Say it to me now, however, and you may suffer the indignity of finding me thrusting Sue Stauffacher’s newest picture book, “Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson,” into your arms while screaming into your ears its high points. This might be so bad either if the book only had a high-point here or there, but the fact of the matter is that “Althea Gibson” is ALL high points. It’s a rip-roaring, snorting, fast and frenzied, well-researched, reiterated, illustrated, formulated bit of picture book biography magnificence. With the author of the “Donuthead” books on the one hand and soon-to-be-recognized-for-his-magnificence artist Greg Couch filling in the necessary art, “Althea Gibson” has everything you could possibly want going for it. It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s smart and interesting, and has a flawed heroine you can’t help but want to know more about. If your young child is looking for a biography of a woman and you don’t know where to turn, I can’t think of a better book available to you. There’s something about Althea.

Ask anyone. Ask her mama her daddy her teacher or the cop down the street that busted her for petty theft. They’ll all tell you the same: That Althea Gibson is nothing but trouble. More comfortable tearing up the playground in the 1930s than sitting at a desk in school, Althea has a reputation for recklessness. None of that is enough to scare off play leader Buddy Walker, however. When he sees Althea play sports, he can only see raw talent and untapped potential. With his guidance and the help of the Sugar Hill’s ritzy tennis court “The Cosmopolitan”, Althea is given the chance to improve her style. Problem is, she has a hard time with being polite, following the rules, and not punching out her fellow players’ lights. It takes time and patience and self-control to make Althea the best she can possibly be, but by 1957 she becomes the first African-American to win at Wimbledon. And though she could hog all the credit for herself, Ms. Gibson gives full credit to that amazing Buddy Walker who had the smarts to become her mentor.

It’s always more interesting to read about a flawed hero. Perfect people do not a fascinating story make. Maybe that’s why the trend in children’s biographies lately has been to tell the tale of those men and women who weren’t made of solid gold from birth onwards. Between Kathleen Krull’s, “Isaac Newton”, Laura Amy Schlitz’s, “The Hero Schliemann,” and now Stauffacher’s, “Nothing but Trouble,” biographies for kids are getting better and better with every coming year. The nice thing about Althea is that for all her pouts and ill-manners, she's shown here to be someone who could conquer the world if she just applied a little self-control. As Buddy tells her at one point, “You’ve got to decide, Althea. Are you going to play your game, or are you going to let the game play you? When I go to the jazz club, I play like a tiger, but I wear a tuxedo.” Stauffacher draws much of her dialogue out of Althea’s biographies “I Always Wanted to Be Somebody” and “So Much to Life For.” Even without such lines, however, the author knows how to put a good story together. This plot is carefully crafted. From the timeline in the back (written on tennis balls, no less) to the great opening line, (“Althea Gibson was the tallest, wildest tomboy in the history of Harlem”) to the thin slices of her life, Stauffacher does a stand up job.

Stauffacher and Couch have found something to say about Althea that hasn’t yet been said in the realm of children’s literature and their passion in bringing Althea’s passion to life is worth taking note of. So stand back now. I’m going to say something and I’m going to say it loud. This book not only pairs well with “Wilma Unlimited” by Kathleen Krul

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Althea Gibson is not someone who every child has heard of before so it provides them with a fresh story that they may not be familiar with. After reading, I found Althea to be very relatable to children who may often get labeled as the 'trouble makers.' Her parents and teachers saw her as nothing but trouble and never really expected her to become anything. Buddy, however, recognized her talent and helped her get the training she needed to be the best. All it took for Althea to become a great tennis player was one person to believe in her and for her to work hard and believe in herself. I think this book can help children realize that, no matter their background, they can do great things if they believe they can.
Another underlying theme was that Althea had to learn to drop her attitude and let her game do the talking. This is another great teaching point for children. Althea's bad sportsmanship took attention away from her talent. Children can learn that they can remembered for something they did well rather than what they did wrong.
I think many children have experienced being labeled as 'nothing but trouble' and I can use this book in the classroom to have a conversation about it and choose to change it into something positive.

[MissDziura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stauffacher's picture book written for grades 1-3 tells the story of the first famous African-American tennis player, Althea Gibson. I gave this book two stars (it was ok) because I thought that, for the most part, it did an okay job of telling her life story to its intended readers. The story of Althea Gibson is told in the third person and focuses on how, as a girl, she was "nothing but trouble." The story continues with Althea meeting a neighborhood, jazz musician Buddy Walker who decides to take her under his wing and help her develop her skill. I would say that the first 3/4's of the book is approriate for the intended audience, however it seems as if Stauffacher just zoomed ahead in Gibson's life in a careless manner. There is such a strong focus on her as a rambuncious girl in the beginning and how even when she begins to play tennis seriously she still fights following the rules. However near the end of the book her first real match is told, and the lesson that readers should take away from it, being a good sport, is lost. Specifically Stauffacher tells how after she lost she went into the stands to yell at a spectator, which is important to share, however the manner in which it was told is so awkward that the lesson she probably intended the reader to take away, learning to become a good sport, is lost. I read this story to a 3rd grade student, and asked her at the end what she thought Althea learned, and the student was not able to articulate that she became something great, but rather focused on the fact the book kept calling her trouble.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary (CIP): Althea Gibson, born in 1927, was the first African American ever to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. Sue Stauffacher's lively text, paired with vibrant paintings by artist Greg Couch, captures the exuberance, ambition, and triumph of this remarkable woman.

REVIEW: This full-sized picturebook makes an actual story out of Althea’s life, telling how the sponsorship and mentoring by a neighbor introduced her to the tennis world. Her feisty spirit got her into trouble, but her determination and raw talent propelled her forward. The artwork contributes strongly to the sense of her personality and motion by surrounding her with bright colored blurs and streaks while the rest of the picture is in recessive sepia tones. Information and a timeline at the end fill in more details of her life, including extra experiences with racism.

SLJ: Starred review. "The prose is rhythmic and has the cadence of the street, and it's a treat to read aloud ..."

Publishers Weekly: Starred review. "[A] sharp evocation of her spirited and appealingly pricky personality. Boys and girls of all levels of athleticism will find much inspiration in these pages."

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"With Buddy's help, Althea realized she could dress up in white and act like a lady, and still beat the liver and lights out of the ball." This had me hollering! Respectability politics caused Althea Gibson to be labeled as trouble? Oh, well. www.altheagibson.com.

I like the tennis ball time line in the back of the book.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent narrative carries the theme and sets the mood, highlighting MC and other influential unsung heroes. Thorough, thoughtful backmatter includes timeline. Makes the MC sympathetic and likeable. Exuberant, painterly illustrations keep MC in motion.

[Alex Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used for Final

Growing up in Harlem, everyone always said that Althea was nothing but trouble, her mom, dad, teachers, even police officers. She did not listen to what they were saying, she just wanted to play sports. The one person who did not see trouble when he looked at Althea was Buddy Walker, a musician, instead he saw possibility in Althea. Even though he did not have much, he spent his money on a tennis racket for her and arranged for her to take lessons. After a year of practice, she played in her first match and lost. She did not handle this well and was not very nice to her opponent. As time went on, Althea realized that she would be a better tennis player if she kept her composure during and after her matches. Althea would go on to change the sport of tennis forever, becoming the first African American, male or female, to play in and win the Wimbledon Cup.

This book offers a different perspective of support that is not seen as often. In this case, it was not the family that supported Althea, it was Buddy. This would make for a good classroom discussion. I think this book would be paired well with a book or discussion about the current tennis players like Venus and Serena Williams to show what Althea was able to do for the sport of tennis.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring book about a black girl who is nothing but trouble, but Buddy Walker saw the raw talent in this dynamo of this young lady. She excelled at every game she played but had no interest in sitting at a desk in school. Not only did she win championship titles in tennis and professional golf she was also an accomplished sax player and vocalist. All this was in the time when doors were barred against anyone of color. She was never able to capitalize on her talent and fame. She watched as those she had trounced on the court were given lucrative contracts and tours.
The book focuses on Althea's early life and her rise to win the tennis championships. This should be encouraging to young people who see themselves as always in trouble and unable to sit still and uninterested in the routine of school. To us adults it should be an example to look beyond actions and find the person and their abilities.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to like about this book. It introduces a person whom many haven’t heard of, it recognizes some of her flaws and the challenges they presented, and the art conveys a great sense of movement that is appropriate to the text. Here’s what I don’t love - it literally says that “Althea realized she could dress up in white and act like a lady...” Why? There are so many better ways to explain that she learned that sportsmanship is an important part of sports without resorting to that horrible and poorly worded cliche. It also jumps forward in time very quickly without much context. Overall, it is a good introduction to an interesting person, with a few caveats.

[Sunny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to learn more about the legendary Althea Gibson, no thanks to this book unfortunately. While I liked the illustrations, how they included a colorful flourish around Althea to perhaps indicate her giftedness or magic that surrounded her (not sure the illustrator intent but I liked it), I didn’t like how much focus and time was spent highlighting Althea’s “misbehavior” and inability to just be a “proper lady” or fit in. It really felt like that was the moral being underscored, which I did not like.

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book if for grades 2-4. Thus book is about the life of Althea Gibson and her journey to being a tennis star. She showed how to be herself and showing strength as a women athlete. I would use this book in my classroom to show students that women are capable of competing in sports, and having strength.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Althea Gibson. Who was she? That was my thought when I saw the title. Now that I've read this book, I know the name.

I don't usually pick up books about sports figures, but this one even earns a place on my shelves.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

None of the third graders I read this to had heard of Ms. Althea Gibson. They marveled at how Ms. Gibson persevered even though so many adults in her life thought that she was "nothing but trouble."

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Althea Gibson, all-around great athlete, who just happened to force the break in the color barrier in tennis.

[Kayla Yirdaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Althea Gibson is the first black American to break the color barrier at Wimbledon Cup. She began as a street tennis player. With the support of many people who saw her potential and invested in her talent, Althea made it big.

Features:
•colorful illustrations
•author’s note with additional information in the back
•biography
•black main character

[Chad Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and great illustrations.

[Terrance McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone she knows, from her parents to her teachers to the police officer on the local beat, agrees that Althea Gibson is nothing but trouble. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Althea's street in Harlem, sees her play paddle tennis, he sees something else: talent.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture Book
Biography

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always good for kids to read about flawed heroes. Nobody really, deep down, wants to read about some guy whose only "flaw" is that they didn't brush their teeth before breakfast.

Althea Gibson, as the title should make clear, has bigger flaws. As a kid, she was a petty thief. She didn't attend class. She stayed out late. And when she was given an opportunity and people fell all over themselves to help her, all she could do is say she didn't come to work on her *manners*, just her *sports*.

She is fun to read about, that's for sure. And the triumph of being the first black person to win a Grand Slam (along with her partner, the first Jewish person to do the same) is sweeter for all that we learn that working on her self control helped with that.

There's a nice afterword in the end with more information, including names of her own autobiographies.

The one thing about this book I'm not to sure of is the artwork. Throughout the book, Althea is drawn with a wave of rainbow colors around her and following her. It does convey movement and all... but it also looks a little strange. I'm not sure what I think about it yet.

[Elizabeth]

I love the rainbow movement blur around Althea in every illustration :) And how even though people keep saying she's nothing but trouble, she's almost always smiling in these illustrations.

I appreciate that Althea is never interested in fucking around with standing on ceremony, and while I think the transition to her conforming was a little weak, I definitely did buy "Althea learned that wanting to slug her opponent as soon as she started losing her match made her a worse tennis player than if she kept her cool."

The Author's Note is also definitely worth reading for some additional context -- e.g., "The only way to reach a competition like Wimbledon is to be invited to play in smaller tournaments. The all-white United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) effectively kept Althea out by not inviting her to tournaments."

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Racing through the streets of Harlem, young Althea Gibson bursts across the pages of this picture book biography about the first African-American tennis player to win at Wimbledon. Althea is nothing but trouble to many she meets. She is happiest playing stickball, basketball and paddle tennis, but when jazz musician Buddy Walker saw her potential and bought her a tennis racket, Althea learned that she “could dress up in white and act like a lady, and still beat the liver and lights out of the ball." This moving story of a young girl learning to focus her energy and excel with the support of many around her will inspire many young listeners.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent picture book tells the story of how Althea Gibson made the transition from rough Harlem tomboy to Wimbledon champion and changed the segregated tennis world. The narrative is simple and conversational in tone. The acrylic and digital illustrations simulate old, sepia-tone photographs, but surrounding Althea in every picture is a bright, rainbow "aura" of energy that seems to vibrate with motion and sets her apart. This is an outstanding addition to elementary libraries and Black History Month bibliographies.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shows young girls that it is okay to be a tomboy and enjoy sports (even though Althea had a lot of repercussions due to her interests). she wnated to become something bigger than what everyone else in her community said she could become. She wanted to play sports and nothing else. She received some help in striving towards her dream. Which introduces another important theme, more so for the adults reading it instead of the children! Especially for teachers, it shows that with a little encouragement and personalized care towards children can make the world's difference.

[Mimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson is the story of the childhood of Ms. Gibson, who grew up to become the first African American to win the Wimbledon. Althea didn't pay enough attention in class, was always running, and stayed out late, and all of the adults said she was nothing but trouble. But she grew up to be nothing but trouble for her opponents. The story is wonderful and the illustrations, done by Greg Couch, are magnificent.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the text and illustration are intertwined. The rainbow of energy surrounding Althea Gibson through activities in her life is brilliant. Book contains author's note with biographical detail, as well as endpaper decorated with tennis balls that bounce through chronology of her life in sports. The last ball is her retirement in 1958. Now to seek out the info about the second half of her life.

[Christina Potter Bieloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting book about the first African-American woman to win Wimbledon. It's a great book for kids. The "Nothing But Trouble" is a common refrain throughout the book, but then you see that she is much more than that. The illustrations are beautiful, and Althea Gibson is always surrounded by rainbow swishes of color. Davey really enjoyed this book, and we did too. I am learning so much from these great nonfiction children's books!

[Hanna Mammo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about the life of Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win the Wimbledon cup. This book tells of her struggle to overcome her obstacles and of how she forever changed the game of tennis. This book contained a lot of great imagery. This book would be a great example for the students to see how imagery is a way of increasing the interest of their stories. I would also use this as a way to show my students how to use good descriptive language in their writing.

[Mary Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about learning to live in a world where society matters and people will judge you, but even with their perceptions you can still be yourself. Althea is brave and hardworking she has great talent and finally learns to change her attitude. The illustrations are very inspiring, with the rainbow following her. A great biography and narrative.