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Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Novel
Debut author Misty Wilson chronicles her seventh-grade experience as the only girl on her town's football team in this empowering graphic memoir about teamwork, friendship, crushes, and touchdowns.
Misty never shies away from a challenge, on or off the field. So when the boys tell her she can't play football, there's only one thing to do: join their team and show them what she's got.
But the training is rougher than she thought--and so are the other guys, who aren't thrilled about having a girl on their team.
Middle school isn't so easy, either. Misty wants to fit in with the popular kids, but they think a girl playing football is "weird." Even her best friend doesn't get it.
Can Misty find a way to score points with her teammates, make new friends, and show everyone--including herself--what it means to play like a girl?
"I am a huge fan of Misty and her courageous journey of staying true to herself. Readers will love her!" --Terri Libenson, New York Times bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends series
"This is the book I wish I'd had as a kid. Misty's passion for football and her fight to play in a male-dominated sport while balancing friendship and crushes makes for a winning read!" --Dr. Jen Welter, first female NFL coach, first female running back in men's pro football, and founder of Grrridiron Girls
Misty never shies away from a challenge, on or off the field. So when the boys tell her she can't play football, there's only one thing to do: join their team and show them what she's got.
But the training is rougher than she thought--and so are the other guys, who aren't thrilled about having a girl on their team.
Middle school isn't so easy, either. Misty wants to fit in with the popular kids, but they think a girl playing football is "weird." Even her best friend doesn't get it.
Can Misty find a way to score points with her teammates, make new friends, and show everyone--including herself--what it means to play like a girl?
"I am a huge fan of Misty and her courageous journey of staying true to herself. Readers will love her!" --Terri Libenson, New York Times bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends series
"This is the book I wish I'd had as a kid. Misty's passion for football and her fight to play in a male-dominated sport while balancing friendship and crushes makes for a winning read!" --Dr. Jen Welter, first female NFL coach, first female running back in men's pro football, and founder of Grrridiron Girls
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
36 people are currently reading
4995 people want to read
About the author
Misty Wilson
3 books488 followersMisty Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of Falling Like Leaves and the award-winning middle-grade graphic memoir Play Like a Girl. She is a teacher, a registered nurse, and a voracious reader. She loves binge-watching television series and adores rom-coms. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
August 24, 2023
As the author, I'm probably a little biased, but I think this book is pretty great. I just wanted to share the letter to readers that is in the ARC:
Dear Reader,
I used to sit in class in elementary school and stare at the clock, willing time to move faster as I counted down the seconds to the best part of the day—recess, the short twenty minutes or so when the only thing that mattered was beating the boys at whatever sport we decided to play that day. I was extremely competitive and perhaps a little too aggressive. But those weren’t necessarily bad qualities to have as a girl trying to become the arm-wrestling-champion of the playground.
Then I got to middle school, and everyone seemed to change—including me. Suddenly, being popular felt important. I wanted to fit in with the girls everyone seemed to like. So, I tried to become who I thought I needed to be.
But even as I strived to be accepted by them—to become one of them—there was something in me, tugging me back to who I truly was, pulling me toward my own path. I couldn’t help but be myself. This led to the unlikely but transformative experience of being the only girl on the boys’ football team.
And now, I’m excited to share my story with you, about being in middle school, trying to figure out where I fit in—both on and off the field—and ultimately discovering that happiness comes from staying true to yourself.
I hope this story speaks to anyone struggling to find their place, anyone who might feel friendships beginning to crumble, or anyone daring to follow their passions—especially in the face of adversity.
Thank you so much for reading.
Sincerely,
Misty
Dear Reader,
I used to sit in class in elementary school and stare at the clock, willing time to move faster as I counted down the seconds to the best part of the day—recess, the short twenty minutes or so when the only thing that mattered was beating the boys at whatever sport we decided to play that day. I was extremely competitive and perhaps a little too aggressive. But those weren’t necessarily bad qualities to have as a girl trying to become the arm-wrestling-champion of the playground.
Then I got to middle school, and everyone seemed to change—including me. Suddenly, being popular felt important. I wanted to fit in with the girls everyone seemed to like. So, I tried to become who I thought I needed to be.
But even as I strived to be accepted by them—to become one of them—there was something in me, tugging me back to who I truly was, pulling me toward my own path. I couldn’t help but be myself. This led to the unlikely but transformative experience of being the only girl on the boys’ football team.
And now, I’m excited to share my story with you, about being in middle school, trying to figure out where I fit in—both on and off the field—and ultimately discovering that happiness comes from staying true to yourself.
I hope this story speaks to anyone struggling to find their place, anyone who might feel friendships beginning to crumble, or anyone daring to follow their passions—especially in the face of adversity.
Thank you so much for reading.
Sincerely,
Misty
June 4, 2022
Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an early copy with #bookexpedition.
Seventh grader Misty is football obsessed. It’s her favorite sport, and she knows her stuff. So when some boys tell her that she can’t try out for the football team, Misty tackles this challenge head on, determined to prove them wrong.
But the actual training is tougher than she thought. And Misty can’t seem to figure out where she fits in, as some of the boys don’t want her on the team and some of the girls think she’s weird. But with the encouragement of her stepdad, advice from her teammates and coaches, and support from new friends, Misty shows everyone what it means to play like a girl.
With themes of friendship, teamwork, and staying true to yourself, this empowering middle grade graphic novel memoir is a must add to my classroom library. I’m looking forward to seeing the fully-colored version when it publishes in September 2022.
Seventh grader Misty is football obsessed. It’s her favorite sport, and she knows her stuff. So when some boys tell her that she can’t try out for the football team, Misty tackles this challenge head on, determined to prove them wrong.
But the actual training is tougher than she thought. And Misty can’t seem to figure out where she fits in, as some of the boys don’t want her on the team and some of the girls think she’s weird. But with the encouragement of her stepdad, advice from her teammates and coaches, and support from new friends, Misty shows everyone what it means to play like a girl.
With themes of friendship, teamwork, and staying true to yourself, this empowering middle grade graphic novel memoir is a must add to my classroom library. I’m looking forward to seeing the fully-colored version when it publishes in September 2022.
June 5, 2022
I read this book in one sitting and loved absolutely everything about it. I can’t wait for it to be out in the world so I can book tuck it to all my middle schoolers and add it to our library. Such a powerful story that truly captures the middle school experience. I found myself thinking back to when I was in middle school and going through the same thing with friends I had had since kindergarten and how it took a while for me to figure out who I really was and wanted to be and become comfortable not trying to do what everybody else was doing. Thank you to the author and illustrator and publisher for sharing this book with #Bookposse!!
March 23, 2022
Just finished reading this (straight through) as I didn't want to stop. Readers will connect easily to Misty's struggles with friendships, her desire to be her own person, and carve her own path, despite the challenges thrown at her. This graphic novel is a fast read with engaging artwork (David Wilson) and will be well-placed in all classroom libraries.
January 29, 2023
4.5⭐
A greatly enjoyable read from start to end! I loved Misty's spirit and determination, as well as how she stayed true to herself and was committed to perfecting her craft. The author explores a wide range of themes such as growing pains, friendship woes, belonging, acceptance and female empowerment — and strikes a good balance while doing so.
I also adored the vibrant artwork and colours, which further brought the story to life. The characters also have very animated expressions that I enjoyed looking at.
Thank you to the author for sharing her experiences in this heartwarming graphic memoir, which I believe will resonate with many.
A greatly enjoyable read from start to end! I loved Misty's spirit and determination, as well as how she stayed true to herself and was committed to perfecting her craft. The author explores a wide range of themes such as growing pains, friendship woes, belonging, acceptance and female empowerment — and strikes a good balance while doing so.
I also adored the vibrant artwork and colours, which further brought the story to life. The characters also have very animated expressions that I enjoyed looking at.
Thank you to the author for sharing her experiences in this heartwarming graphic memoir, which I believe will resonate with many.
September 28, 2022
I read this book in one sitting and loved every single second of it!! The story is amazing, and so are the illustrations! This book is an inspiration for girls everywhere, and I will be recommending this book to any and all middle schools! David and Misty are so incredibly kind and I can’t wait to see what else they do in the future!! <3
November 23, 2022
I can't think of a year where I have read this many graphic novels and thought to myself, "wow, that was incredible," time and time again.
Misty's story hit all the right notes for me, and I am sure it will be a popular read for middle grade and younger teen readers. I can't recommended this one enough!
Misty's story hit all the right notes for me, and I am sure it will be a popular read for middle grade and younger teen readers. I can't recommended this one enough!
January 7, 2023
Fabulous. All three of my kids (11, 9, and 7) and I loved this, especially my eldest who is on an elite girls flag football team. I think she feels like this book was made especially for her. And I felt it captured middle school and friendships and self-esteem so honestly. Highly recommend.
June 12, 2022
Play Like A Girl is going to be one of those books that is never actually on the shelf no matter how many copies you purchase for your library. It is going to be well-loved and highly circulated! From the author’s note and the dedication to the very last page, it was clear that Wilson understood the mindset of trying to find where our true happiness lies and what it means to be uniquely ourselves while finding a sense of belonging and community. This story is authentically middle school tackling friendships, crushes and what it means to be on a team.
An entertaining and worthwhile read!
An entertaining and worthwhile read!
December 1, 2022
Seventh-grade Misty is so many of my middle schoolers at different times in their lives. I felt for her, and know kids will relate to her challenges and struggles. The mean girls were mean, the football players were team players (except the one), and the parents were busy. Good stuff.
January 10, 2023
A 7th grader deals with a little flack on the field and in her friendships for joining the boys on the school football team.
It's a nice and tidy dramatization of the author's real experience. As it is aimed at a middle school audience, there was a little too much angst based on best friend drama and mean girl snark for my taste, but I liked the training and game play.
It's a nice and tidy dramatization of the author's real experience. As it is aimed at a middle school audience, there was a little too much angst based on best friend drama and mean girl snark for my taste, but I liked the training and game play.
March 6, 2023
This totally took me back to middle school. Gosh, girls sucked! I definitely had an Ava in my life and unfortunately she stuck around for way too long.
I’m glad I read this so i can share this with my middle school sons. Anxious to discuss this with them and the moral of the story - stick to who you are and your people will find you.
I’m glad I read this so i can share this with my middle school sons. Anxious to discuss this with them and the moral of the story - stick to who you are and your people will find you.
November 17, 2023
I'm glad I picked up this student recommendation. It's actually a graphic memoir from the author's own experience. Yes, I loved the football parts, but even more than that, I loved the accurate depiction of adolescent friendships and how they change, evolve, and fade away. It's such a hard time for friendships, and this book did a great job showing that.
January 15, 2024
This is such a wonderful graphic memoir for young readers about friendship, staying true to yourself, and love for sport. It made me want to call up some friends and start a pick-up game! I really enjoyed the content and lessons within--I highly recommend for adults and kids alike!
February 10, 2026
Cute middle grade read
February 16, 2024
Sooo awesome-highly recommend -amazing color and artwork and a story with such a good heart. Definitely a must read for tween realistic graphic novel ☺️
March 24, 2023
This was pretty good! I read it for a school book club and it was a really quick read. The main character was a little annoying at times but definitely one of my favorite graphic novels
December 28, 2022
this is such a typical drama middle grade/teen story but i like it???? lmaoooo
🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉/5. a middle grade graphic memoir about a girl named misty who wants to play football - a sport that most people would say that "its for boys". 👦 she ended up joining her school's football boys team with her best friend, bree. however, bree did not enjoy it as much and started hanging out with her new popular friend. but misty is determined to prove that she is just as good as any of the boys…and things are starting to get harder…….
i really love how there are so many learning points in this one. 🌟 generally about football ((esp if you are not familiar with the sport itself)) and just being true to yourself. 💚 the fact that misty likes football and that does not make her less of a girl. she still finds herself with her own tribe of friends even though some people were mean to her and that itself is so heartwarming - to have friends that still support and love her for who she is. 🥹 how some people judged her for being in the football team but that still doesn’t stop misty from liking football. through all these experiences, she becomes more comfortable with who she is and allowing people to accept that. 🥰
i also love how the story ties with the author's personal experiences. the story is generally quite predictable but its so fun!!! i thoroughly enjoyed and did see bits of myself here and there. :') i am very surprised to find out that this is a debut graphic novel and the author really did a great job + i also found out that the illustrations were done by the author's husband!!!! UGH TOO CUTE!!!!!! 😍
overall such an empowering read, would highly recommend if you are into stories that touches on challenging gender norms, the importance of family, just being truly yourself, teamwork, friendship & navigating the complexities of growing up.
🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉/5. a middle grade graphic memoir about a girl named misty who wants to play football - a sport that most people would say that "its for boys". 👦 she ended up joining her school's football boys team with her best friend, bree. however, bree did not enjoy it as much and started hanging out with her new popular friend. but misty is determined to prove that she is just as good as any of the boys…and things are starting to get harder…….
i really love how there are so many learning points in this one. 🌟 generally about football ((esp if you are not familiar with the sport itself)) and just being true to yourself. 💚 the fact that misty likes football and that does not make her less of a girl. she still finds herself with her own tribe of friends even though some people were mean to her and that itself is so heartwarming - to have friends that still support and love her for who she is. 🥹 how some people judged her for being in the football team but that still doesn’t stop misty from liking football. through all these experiences, she becomes more comfortable with who she is and allowing people to accept that. 🥰
i also love how the story ties with the author's personal experiences. the story is generally quite predictable but its so fun!!! i thoroughly enjoyed and did see bits of myself here and there. :') i am very surprised to find out that this is a debut graphic novel and the author really did a great job + i also found out that the illustrations were done by the author's husband!!!! UGH TOO CUTE!!!!!! 😍
overall such an empowering read, would highly recommend if you are into stories that touches on challenging gender norms, the importance of family, just being truly yourself, teamwork, friendship & navigating the complexities of growing up.
July 18, 2022
Play Like a Girl is a great middle grade graphic memoir themed around gender stereotypes and how they affect young people. It follows Misty who is the only girl on her 7th grade (American) football team. Some of the boys don't want her playing on the team despite her being dedicated and good at the sport. On top of trying to find herself as she plays a traditionally male sport, Misty experiences other middle grade hardships such as dissolving friendships and the awkwardness of being at that age.
I really liked this book a lot. I love anything that challenges gender stereotypes and roles already, but this is a great middle grade book all around. It reads like fiction so young readers will like it. It's genuinely funny with moments that made me chuckle. It explains American football in an easy to understand way without info dumping. And it covers other middle grade problems with moodiness and friendships. Middle school sucks for most kids and I think this book will help a lot of kids feel seen.
Also, there is a picture of Misty in her football uniform at the back of the book which is absolutely great and her husband provided the illustrations!
Thank you to netgalley and harper collins for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
I really liked this book a lot. I love anything that challenges gender stereotypes and roles already, but this is a great middle grade book all around. It reads like fiction so young readers will like it. It's genuinely funny with moments that made me chuckle. It explains American football in an easy to understand way without info dumping. And it covers other middle grade problems with moodiness and friendships. Middle school sucks for most kids and I think this book will help a lot of kids feel seen.
Also, there is a picture of Misty in her football uniform at the back of the book which is absolutely great and her husband provided the illustrations!
Thank you to netgalley and harper collins for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
July 7, 2022
Misty just wants to play football. In this enjoyable graphic novel, the author recounts her 7th grade experiences as a girl on the middle school team, her struggles when her best friend becomes friends with a snarky queen bee, new friends, and a crush on one of her fellow players.
This is a book which seems relevant in a lot of ways. Misty isn't a gender conforming girl, but she's comfortable being a girl in relaxed clothes who loves sports, She has a crush on Ben, who is one of the nicer members of the team, and wants to be accepted. She is a relatable protagonist, and this would be a good entry to discuss the problems gender diverse kids face in sports and in being accepted.
I would recommend this book for inclusion in middle school or older elementary libraries and classroom collections.
This is a book which seems relevant in a lot of ways. Misty isn't a gender conforming girl, but she's comfortable being a girl in relaxed clothes who loves sports, She has a crush on Ben, who is one of the nicer members of the team, and wants to be accepted. She is a relatable protagonist, and this would be a good entry to discuss the problems gender diverse kids face in sports and in being accepted.
I would recommend this book for inclusion in middle school or older elementary libraries and classroom collections.
March 26, 2022
There's something about middle grade graphic novel memoirs that works very well for me. These stories based on the author's childhood and brought to life with text and art are comforting and engaging because they speak someone's truth. I finished this book in one sitting. I look forward to buying a copy for our school library as we always need more sports books with fierce females. Thank you for sharing an ARC with #BookPosse!
March 1, 2022
This GN could not have been more perfect. I stayed up until I was finished reading, and I am STILL thinking about it! Misty has a fresh, relatable voice, and the illustrations make the text SING. You’ll be cheering for # 44 from the first page until the last! Misty and David Wilson are my new auto-buys!
September 29, 2022
Absolutely loved this graphic novel about a 7th grader growing up and discovering what she wants in friendship; an awesome message about proudly owning all the quirky things that make us who we are!
"Teammates are supposed to have your back. Plus, friends don't let people treat their friends like that."
"Teammates are supposed to have your back. Plus, friends don't let people treat their friends like that."
July 21, 2022
What an amazing MG graphic novel memoir! I love a good underdog story and this definitely was one: girls playing male dominated sports has never been a popular move so this goes towards more progression with accepting that girls can play any sport. I was sucked into the story, mainly because the time period the author writes about I was around the same age. I loved it!
August 4, 2022
Where was this book when I was in middle school! I absolutely loved this graphic novel. I loved how the author depicted Misty‘s struggle with wanting to play a sport that girls don’t traditionally play, while also struggling with friendships. This is one that will definitely go into my library collection!
May 9, 2022
What a fantastic graphic memoir about all parts of middle school life and finding yourself. I thank the author, Misty Wilson, for sharing this book with me and the Lit Review Crew. This book will be a popular one in my classroom, but also an important one!
May 28, 2022
Finding middle grade memoirs are hard to do. This one gives a good solid complete story all around Misty’s food all journey. As well as navigating friendships which will be relatable for all students. Will definitely be adding to my classroom!
March 8, 2023
Maybe it helps that I LOVE football, that I thought maybe I’d be a girl that joined a football team as a kid, or that i thought the illustrations were GREAT! But I just adored this middle grade graphic novel memoir! Love Misty’s story!
April 14, 2022
Awesome graphic novel with an inspiring, powerful, determined main character, Misty!! Check it out!!
July 15, 2022
Great pacing and voice. Read this in one sitting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews