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Sports Royalty
Hoop Queens 2
Charles R. Smith Jr. brings his high-energy verse to praise a new generation of WNBA basketball stars, paired with dynamic photos of the players in action.
Are your moves as smooth as A’ja Wilson’s? Do you make the game look effortless like Sue Bird? Are you a complete player like Candace Parker? A scoring machine like Diana Taurasi? Whether it’s the towering Brittney Griner, or Elena Delle Donne doing her thing, or Breanna Stewart with her big bag of tricks, Charles R. Smith’s indomitable wordplay revels in the superb talents of thirteen of the best female players in basketball. Matched with kinetic, stylized photos of the players, these upbeat poems capture the elite agility and skills the professionals bring to the game. End notes delve into how the author uses a variety of poetic forms and language to spotlight each athlete.
Featuring the players:
Sue Bird
Liz Cambage
Elena Delle Donne
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Brittney Griner
Jonquel Jones
Nneka & Chiney Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Courtney Vandersloot
A’Ja Wilson
Are your moves as smooth as A’ja Wilson’s? Do you make the game look effortless like Sue Bird? Are you a complete player like Candace Parker? A scoring machine like Diana Taurasi? Whether it’s the towering Brittney Griner, or Elena Delle Donne doing her thing, or Breanna Stewart with her big bag of tricks, Charles R. Smith’s indomitable wordplay revels in the superb talents of thirteen of the best female players in basketball. Matched with kinetic, stylized photos of the players, these upbeat poems capture the elite agility and skills the professionals bring to the game. End notes delve into how the author uses a variety of poetic forms and language to spotlight each athlete.
Featuring the players:
Sue Bird
Liz Cambage
Elena Delle Donne
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Brittney Griner
Jonquel Jones
Nneka & Chiney Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Courtney Vandersloot
A’Ja Wilson
40 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2024
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 7, 2024
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
This large format picture book has two page spreads with nice, large pictures of the players and their names in large letters across the top, with difference styles of poems for each player. There are thirteen different players mentioned, including Kiz Cambage, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and the Ogwumike sisters. At the end of the book, there are short explanations of why Smith choose the different poetic forms and elements for each player.
With renewed interest in the Women's National Basketball Association, there might be students wanting to know more about WNBA players. This isn't quite the book for biographical information, but they poems are quite fun to read. I wish that there had been a brief listing of facts; the only players I knew were Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner, so I'm not even sure when the women included played. Since there is a previous version of this book from 2003, I assume that the players listed are current ones.
Smith's poems are always fun to read, and this book would make a great companion to Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, since the two authors have a somewhat similar bouncy, free verse style that lends itself to describing basketball. Smith has also written Hoop Kings 1 and 2, as well as Soccer Queens. This would make an excellent gift for a young WNBA fan, perhaps wrapped in a Caitlyn Clark jersey!
This large format picture book has two page spreads with nice, large pictures of the players and their names in large letters across the top, with difference styles of poems for each player. There are thirteen different players mentioned, including Kiz Cambage, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and the Ogwumike sisters. At the end of the book, there are short explanations of why Smith choose the different poetic forms and elements for each player.
With renewed interest in the Women's National Basketball Association, there might be students wanting to know more about WNBA players. This isn't quite the book for biographical information, but they poems are quite fun to read. I wish that there had been a brief listing of facts; the only players I knew were Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner, so I'm not even sure when the women included played. Since there is a previous version of this book from 2003, I assume that the players listed are current ones.
Smith's poems are always fun to read, and this book would make a great companion to Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, since the two authors have a somewhat similar bouncy, free verse style that lends itself to describing basketball. Smith has also written Hoop Kings 1 and 2, as well as Soccer Queens. This would make an excellent gift for a young WNBA fan, perhaps wrapped in a Caitlyn Clark jersey!
May 16, 2025
The official 2025 WNBA season tips off today, May 16. The 2024 WNBA season was a historic year with record-setting attendance as well as TV viewership. Much of that is due to the talented female athletes who make the games so exciting to watch.
In Hoop Queens 2, each two-page spread features a photo of the player along with a poem, written by Smith, that highlights the player’s skills and talents on the court. The book includes poetic bios on twelve players such as A’Ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird.
Smith chose comparison poems, alliteration, poems with rhythm, and even an acrostic poem based on what he wanted to feature for each player. Exposing kids to various poems, as well as the talented skills of the players, offers a unique style of reading and learning. The use of actual action photos gives a good introduction to the players so kids can recognize them when watching the games.
If you have a WNBA fan in your house, don’t miss HOOP QUEENS 2.
In Hoop Queens 2, each two-page spread features a photo of the player along with a poem, written by Smith, that highlights the player’s skills and talents on the court. The book includes poetic bios on twelve players such as A’Ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird.
Smith chose comparison poems, alliteration, poems with rhythm, and even an acrostic poem based on what he wanted to feature for each player. Exposing kids to various poems, as well as the talented skills of the players, offers a unique style of reading and learning. The use of actual action photos gives a good introduction to the players so kids can recognize them when watching the games.
If you have a WNBA fan in your house, don’t miss HOOP QUEENS 2.
April 22, 2024
Sure to entice youngsters dreaming of someday playing in the WNBA, 12 energetic poems just as lively and varied as their subjects pay tribute to 13 different basketball players, Poet Charles R. Smith Jr. uses various types of poetry and poetic techniques, including acrostics, limericks, repetition, word play and rhythm, to score high with this one. As is the case with his earlier sports-themed poetry books, which includes Hoop Kings and Hoop Queens, this one features large photos of these amazing athletes in action. There's no doubt about it: These women have game, and they're not afraid to show it. While it sometimes seems that basketball is one sport that is played year-round, should its aficionadas decide they need a brief break, they can find it in these lines and images. I'm loving the recognition--long, long overdue--that women's basketball is receiving.
April 16, 2025
I absolutely love the presentation of this book.Its shape and front cover graphics and color scheme are very engaging. There is an amazon array of contributors, extolling the strength, beauty and uniqueness of each female hoopster. Each 2-page spread is gorgeously bright with an ode focusing on an extraordinary WNBA basketball player. The action shots and swirls of day-glo colors are just eclectic and jump off the page! The writing’s cadence and rhythm connect the reader’s senses to the full court action of each athlete. Such a creative intertwining of words and action. There is an amazing array of poetic styles and this is a great book for every library and for poetry month and for every day of the year. It is about real life heroes who use their skills to inspire. I love the end poetry notes that show how much joy which poet had in writing about their beloved athlete.
January 5, 2025
I loved the author’s notes explaining his thought process on some of the poems. Vandersloot is like a director on the court so her poem was like a movie ad and DT’s game is so good, she’s like a machine, so her poem was like an infomercial. Brilliant! :)
December 2, 2024
Some poems shine--some feel either forced or rushed. Smith includes some amazing athletes in this addition to his collection of poetry about athletes.
December 3, 2024
Charles R. Smith's Sports Royalty collections are so much fun. 🏀
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews