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Winners Never Quit!
“An inspiring tale.” —Parents Magazine
Mia Hamm, American soccer champion and bestselling author of Go for the Goal, tells a true-life-inspired story in this picture book.
Winners Never Quit! can help with the emotional side of playing sports—how to deal with a loss without getting angry or quitting, and how to be a good teammate. A strong choice for the young athlete in your family or classroom.
Soccer superstar Mia Hamm knows the value of teamwork and perseverance. She shares this lesson, paired with energetic illustrations by Carol Thompson, in this motivational story.
Mia Hamm, American soccer champion and bestselling author of Go for the Goal, tells a true-life-inspired story in this picture book.
Winners Never Quit! can help with the emotional side of playing sports—how to deal with a loss without getting angry or quitting, and how to be a good teammate. A strong choice for the young athlete in your family or classroom.
Soccer superstar Mia Hamm knows the value of teamwork and perseverance. She shares this lesson, paired with energetic illustrations by Carol Thompson, in this motivational story.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
9 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Mia Hamm
10 books32 followersMariel Margaret Garciaparra, best known as Mia Hamm, is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female, in the history of soccer (158).
Hamm is an iconic symbol of women's sports and an inspiration and role model to a generation of sports-minded girls. As part of the first generation of women to grow up with gender equality rights after Title IX passed, she received the college scholarships, endorsements and training opportunities necessary to become a top athlete. She was named the women's FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that award was given (in 2001 and 2002), and is listed as one of FIFA's 125 best living players (as chosen by Pelé). Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon called Hamm, "Perhaps the most important athlete of the last 15 years."
She retired from the sport in 2004, when she played her last game in the 2004 Fan Celebration Tour to commemorate the U.S. women's national team's victory in the 2004 Olympics. In 2007, her first year of eligibility, she was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame by having 137 votes of the 141 ballots cast. Women's Professional Soccer, a professional soccer league that launched in 2009, features Hamm's silhouette in its logo.
Hamm was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on March 11, 2008.
Hamm is an iconic symbol of women's sports and an inspiration and role model to a generation of sports-minded girls. As part of the first generation of women to grow up with gender equality rights after Title IX passed, she received the college scholarships, endorsements and training opportunities necessary to become a top athlete. She was named the women's FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that award was given (in 2001 and 2002), and is listed as one of FIFA's 125 best living players (as chosen by Pelé). Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon called Hamm, "Perhaps the most important athlete of the last 15 years."
She retired from the sport in 2004, when she played her last game in the 2004 Fan Celebration Tour to commemorate the U.S. women's national team's victory in the 2004 Olympics. In 2007, her first year of eligibility, she was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame by having 137 votes of the 141 ballots cast. Women's Professional Soccer, a professional soccer league that launched in 2009, features Hamm's silhouette in its logo.
Hamm was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on March 11, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 22, 2010
Since it's World Cup time, I wanted to find a few picture books featuring soccer/futball. I was a bit skeptical that this was a star vehicle for Mia Hamm that would have everything to do with quick sales and little to do with lasting quality. I am happy to be proven wrong!
In the story, young Mia loves to play soccer with her family. She loves it when she scores goals and everyone cheers! She does not care so much for missing goals... no goal, no cheers. It seems like Mia always wants to quit whenever she starts to lose. But, her older siblings have a lesson in store: winners never quit. Soon, Mia needs to decide which is stronger--her love of soccer or her dislike of losing.
The story is ably told with cute illustrations. Back matter includes pictures of Mia from her childhood soccer matches to her world-class wins.
Although Hamm, and Women's Soccer in general, aren't as popular today as they were when the book premiered, it is a story that can stand on its own for both young soccer fans and those who need to learn that "winners never quit!"
In the story, young Mia loves to play soccer with her family. She loves it when she scores goals and everyone cheers! She does not care so much for missing goals... no goal, no cheers. It seems like Mia always wants to quit whenever she starts to lose. But, her older siblings have a lesson in store: winners never quit. Soon, Mia needs to decide which is stronger--her love of soccer or her dislike of losing.
The story is ably told with cute illustrations. Back matter includes pictures of Mia from her childhood soccer matches to her world-class wins.
Although Hamm, and Women's Soccer in general, aren't as popular today as they were when the book premiered, it is a story that can stand on its own for both young soccer fans and those who need to learn that "winners never quit!"
March 30, 2017
In winners never quit, it’s a story about a little girl named Mia who loves to play soccer, she loved to score goals and people would cheer. Although sometimes it doesn’t work that way, one day when Mia couldn’t score a goal she wasn’t too happy because no goal means no cheering. Mia quit she didn’t like that she wasn’t scoring her friends and siblings kept telling her to play but she didn’t want to. She would rather quit than lose. The next day she wasn’t able to play because she was a “quitter” so she just watched, the day after Mia played again but she couldn’t score a goal and her friend said “better luck next time”
My impression of this story is that it was a nice story to read, it definitely shows to not quit something you love. This story would be great to read to students because it can show them to continue what they love doing without giving up.
The theme in this story is to have good sportsmanship, because in the story it shows that Mia loves soccer and that she loved to score goals and the cheers, and when she didn’t score she didn’t like it, but realized that playing soccer and being there with her team is what’s more fun and important. That it’s okay to lose but to lose gracefully. That whatever we love to do to never quit.
The protagonist in this story is Mia she can see her character traits well through illustrations and text. In one part of the story we can see Mia with her arms crossed and with a frown on her face and it says “Mia didn’t want better luck next time. She wanted better luck now.” As she is stomping away in the illustrations with her arms out and head looking down, this shows an angry body language by how her arms and head are in the image. Another part of the story we see Mia in the image tearing up with an upset face when her sister says “She’s going to quit.” But Mia didn’t hate losing as much as she loved soccer. And in the next image we see her happily playing soccer by her facial expressions showing happiness.
A visual element I noticed is that in a few different parts of the story the illustrations bleed. It covers the whole page, with the text in the image, I believe the author did this so we can feel as if the reader was there at that very moment in the story, and give us a bigger picture to look at all the things that around the field, because in this image we as readers are on looking out from a higher level point of view because the other characters are looking at Mia and facing away from us.
Another visual element I noticed is that the story includes different fonts of text. When Mia says “I quit!” It is in big red letters, and big to show that she quits and it’s a big deal and the red color to indicate how she is feeling angry and upset. Another one I noticed is that when Mia would score a goal, the word “Goal” is in the color orange, and orange means happiness, success and enthusiasm, and that’s how Mia would feel when she would score a goal.
This is contemporary realistic fiction, because it is in a realistic setting in a soccer field, and the story can very much happen in real life because it is about a little girl who realized that she didn’t hate losing as much as she loved soccer, and that winners never quit.
My impression of this story is that it was a nice story to read, it definitely shows to not quit something you love. This story would be great to read to students because it can show them to continue what they love doing without giving up.
The theme in this story is to have good sportsmanship, because in the story it shows that Mia loves soccer and that she loved to score goals and the cheers, and when she didn’t score she didn’t like it, but realized that playing soccer and being there with her team is what’s more fun and important. That it’s okay to lose but to lose gracefully. That whatever we love to do to never quit.
The protagonist in this story is Mia she can see her character traits well through illustrations and text. In one part of the story we can see Mia with her arms crossed and with a frown on her face and it says “Mia didn’t want better luck next time. She wanted better luck now.” As she is stomping away in the illustrations with her arms out and head looking down, this shows an angry body language by how her arms and head are in the image. Another part of the story we see Mia in the image tearing up with an upset face when her sister says “She’s going to quit.” But Mia didn’t hate losing as much as she loved soccer. And in the next image we see her happily playing soccer by her facial expressions showing happiness.
A visual element I noticed is that in a few different parts of the story the illustrations bleed. It covers the whole page, with the text in the image, I believe the author did this so we can feel as if the reader was there at that very moment in the story, and give us a bigger picture to look at all the things that around the field, because in this image we as readers are on looking out from a higher level point of view because the other characters are looking at Mia and facing away from us.
Another visual element I noticed is that the story includes different fonts of text. When Mia says “I quit!” It is in big red letters, and big to show that she quits and it’s a big deal and the red color to indicate how she is feeling angry and upset. Another one I noticed is that when Mia would score a goal, the word “Goal” is in the color orange, and orange means happiness, success and enthusiasm, and that’s how Mia would feel when she would score a goal.
This is contemporary realistic fiction, because it is in a realistic setting in a soccer field, and the story can very much happen in real life because it is about a little girl who realized that she didn’t hate losing as much as she loved soccer, and that winners never quit.
March 29, 2023
Right away the young reader will identify with Mia through the text and the illustrations. Mia is just like every other kid that wants to hang out with her friends doing something she loves. They all meet in a park to play soccer. The text is easy to read for independent readers and the sentences are just the right length for those that will need the book read to them. The illustrations are colorful and realistic even though they are cartoon-like characters.
The story of being a good sport and perseverance are clearly evident without being preachy. Mia exhibits disappointment in missing a goal and so she quits; not very sportsmanlike. She never does score a goal in the story, but she decides the fun of the game and practicing is worth the trouble if it's something you truly love. That's a lesson that goes beyond the playing field into every aspect of life. Not everything is easy and sometimes success may be far off, but that doesn't mean you quit trying.
The story of being a good sport and perseverance are clearly evident without being preachy. Mia exhibits disappointment in missing a goal and so she quits; not very sportsmanlike. She never does score a goal in the story, but she decides the fun of the game and practicing is worth the trouble if it's something you truly love. That's a lesson that goes beyond the playing field into every aspect of life. Not everything is easy and sometimes success may be far off, but that doesn't mean you quit trying.
April 2, 2017
Winners Never Quit by Mia Hamm is about a little girl who plays soccer. In the beginning, Mia scores a goal during a game, but later on she keeps missing. This causes Mia to become upset and she chooses to quit. Her brother, Garrett, and her sisters, Lovdy and Caroline try stop her from quitting, but they can’t. The next day, the team plays without her and Mia has to sit out. The next game, Mia plays, but will she learn not to quit?
The theme of this children’s book is that trying and participating is more important than winning or losing. The author teaches children when something goes wrong, like performing poorly in a soccer game, they should not quit. This theme is even clearly stated at the end of the book: “But she was playing. And that was more important than winning or losing…” (p. 17, 18). The book creates this theme by showing Mia’s choices and their effects. When Mia quit, she didn’t get to play the next game, and, thus, missed out on all the fun. But when Mia played even when she missed the goal, she got to continue having fun playing her favorite sport.
The setting of this story is at a soccer field. This is important because creating the story based on a sport is easy for children to relate to. Many children play a sport and soccer is a common one. Since the book takes place on a soccer field, the audience can relate to the story when Mia does poorly and when Mia does well. They can understand what it is like to do bad when playing a sport and they know that quitting can seem like the easy way out. This setting appeals to the audience of young children and makes the theme easier to relate to.
The typography of the book plays as a key visual element. Most of the time the author uses a normal, black font for the text. However, when key parts of the story occur, the author uses a more playful and colorful font to draw attention to it. For example, when Mia score, the word “goal” is in an orange, fun text (p.2). This is important to the story because Mia acts positively afterwards. However, on the next page, in the same colorful, playful font, the book narrates, “No goal. No cheering.” This is also important because Mia has a different reaction to this event and it changes the story. The author uses this different, colorful font to draw attention to key words in the story.
Facial expressions and body language are also key visual elements. The illustrator uses different facial expressions and body language to show how the characters feel and react. For example, when Mia misses the goals in the beginning of the story and decides to quit, she looks very upset and angry (p.5). The audience can tell this because Mia’s eyebrows are slanted down towards each other which is a common sign of anger. She is also frowning. Lastly, Mia’s arms are crossed, which is a common symbol of being upset or angry.
This children’s literature is contemporary fiction because it’s an imaginary story that takes place in modern times and seems realistic. This is a coming-of-age story because Mia learns about herself and develops. She learns that quitting is not the option to choose when soccer gets hard. She develops because she chooses to play the next time she misses a goal in a game, rather than choosing to quit.
I liked this story because it sends a good message to children in a fun, relatable story. A lot of children want to quit when something goes wrong because it is the easy way out. This story shows that quitting isn’t the best option and that you can still have fun even if you mess up a few times or lose. The book is relatable to children because every child plays a sport or has wanted to quit at one time or another.
The theme of this children’s book is that trying and participating is more important than winning or losing. The author teaches children when something goes wrong, like performing poorly in a soccer game, they should not quit. This theme is even clearly stated at the end of the book: “But she was playing. And that was more important than winning or losing…” (p. 17, 18). The book creates this theme by showing Mia’s choices and their effects. When Mia quit, she didn’t get to play the next game, and, thus, missed out on all the fun. But when Mia played even when she missed the goal, she got to continue having fun playing her favorite sport.
The setting of this story is at a soccer field. This is important because creating the story based on a sport is easy for children to relate to. Many children play a sport and soccer is a common one. Since the book takes place on a soccer field, the audience can relate to the story when Mia does poorly and when Mia does well. They can understand what it is like to do bad when playing a sport and they know that quitting can seem like the easy way out. This setting appeals to the audience of young children and makes the theme easier to relate to.
The typography of the book plays as a key visual element. Most of the time the author uses a normal, black font for the text. However, when key parts of the story occur, the author uses a more playful and colorful font to draw attention to it. For example, when Mia score, the word “goal” is in an orange, fun text (p.2). This is important to the story because Mia acts positively afterwards. However, on the next page, in the same colorful, playful font, the book narrates, “No goal. No cheering.” This is also important because Mia has a different reaction to this event and it changes the story. The author uses this different, colorful font to draw attention to key words in the story.
Facial expressions and body language are also key visual elements. The illustrator uses different facial expressions and body language to show how the characters feel and react. For example, when Mia misses the goals in the beginning of the story and decides to quit, she looks very upset and angry (p.5). The audience can tell this because Mia’s eyebrows are slanted down towards each other which is a common sign of anger. She is also frowning. Lastly, Mia’s arms are crossed, which is a common symbol of being upset or angry.
This children’s literature is contemporary fiction because it’s an imaginary story that takes place in modern times and seems realistic. This is a coming-of-age story because Mia learns about herself and develops. She learns that quitting is not the option to choose when soccer gets hard. She develops because she chooses to play the next time she misses a goal in a game, rather than choosing to quit.
I liked this story because it sends a good message to children in a fun, relatable story. A lot of children want to quit when something goes wrong because it is the easy way out. This story shows that quitting isn’t the best option and that you can still have fun even if you mess up a few times or lose. The book is relatable to children because every child plays a sport or has wanted to quit at one time or another.
July 28, 2017
La pequeña Mia adora el fútbol, pero cada vez que algo le sale mal se tira un berrinche y decide abandonar el juego. Por medio de algunos desencantos eventualmente se da cuenta de que su amor por el juego es mayor que su aversión a la derrota. El libro termina con una serie de fotos de Mia Hamm en diversas etapas de su carrera, una foto autografiada y una carta motivacional para los lectores. El mensaje es claro: "las ganadoras nunca se rinden", lección crítica para el deporte y la vida misma.
Este se está volviendo un favorito en casa. A mi hija le gusta el fútbol (este verano empieza a jugar en el equipo del barrio) y a su corta edad ha enfrentado desafíos en su desarrollo que la han obligado a ser disciplinada, corajuda y determinada. No lo ha puesto en palabras, pero ella también es una ganadora que nunca se rinde.
Este se está volviendo un favorito en casa. A mi hija le gusta el fútbol (este verano empieza a jugar en el equipo del barrio) y a su corta edad ha enfrentado desafíos en su desarrollo que la han obligado a ser disciplinada, corajuda y determinada. No lo ha puesto en palabras, pero ella también es una ganadora que nunca se rinde.
February 17, 2020
I played soccer as a child and the main character (which is Mia Ham, but in the book it’s her as a child) has a resemblance to me. I felt a connection to the character when reading this book as a child.
January 29, 2015
Mia is a little girl who loves to play all different sports especially soccer. However, Mia gets very frustrated and quits playing soccer with her friends every time she misses a goal. Eventually, her friends do not let her play anymore. This teaches Mia that it is okay to lose and that winners never quit.
There is a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this book very entertaining to read out loud. Some examples are, “tap, tap, tap” when Mia is dribbling the soccer ball and “smack” when Mia shoots the ball. The onomatopoeia allows the reader to become more engaged in the story. I think that students would enjoy this book being read to them because the figurative language would keep their attention throughout the entire story.
The text and the illustrations seem to flow very well together. The illustrations represent what the text states. In addition, some words that are in the text are also drawn into the illustrations. For example, when Lovdy calls Mia a quitter, the word “quitter” appears to be drawn like a child using a colored pencil. This feature adds to the illustrations and connects them to the text even more. The illustrations also seem to be creative. At the beginning of the book it says that Mia loves basketball and baseball, but she loves soccer the most. The illustration shows Mia holding a soccer ball in place of a basketball and baseball. I think this is a key element in the illustrations because it reinforces the fact that Mia loves soccer the most.
While this book does have a lesson, it is not overly didactic. The message in the book is that winners never quit. However, the book teaches this lesson in a creative way. The book shows the reader what consequences Mia faces when she does quit. In addition, when Mia is allowed back in the soccer game, she finds out that it is okay to lose. To me, the message is very important but it is presented in an fitting way.
There is a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this book very entertaining to read out loud. Some examples are, “tap, tap, tap” when Mia is dribbling the soccer ball and “smack” when Mia shoots the ball. The onomatopoeia allows the reader to become more engaged in the story. I think that students would enjoy this book being read to them because the figurative language would keep their attention throughout the entire story.
The text and the illustrations seem to flow very well together. The illustrations represent what the text states. In addition, some words that are in the text are also drawn into the illustrations. For example, when Lovdy calls Mia a quitter, the word “quitter” appears to be drawn like a child using a colored pencil. This feature adds to the illustrations and connects them to the text even more. The illustrations also seem to be creative. At the beginning of the book it says that Mia loves basketball and baseball, but she loves soccer the most. The illustration shows Mia holding a soccer ball in place of a basketball and baseball. I think this is a key element in the illustrations because it reinforces the fact that Mia loves soccer the most.
While this book does have a lesson, it is not overly didactic. The message in the book is that winners never quit. However, the book teaches this lesson in a creative way. The book shows the reader what consequences Mia faces when she does quit. In addition, when Mia is allowed back in the soccer game, she finds out that it is okay to lose. To me, the message is very important but it is presented in an fitting way.
September 10, 2008
I didn't realize that soccer star Mia Hamm is the author of this book until after I got home from the library. It's such a great book! Little Mis loves to play a lot of sports, but soccer is by far her favorite. She loves to control the ball, and she *really* loves to score a goal and hear the cheers from her teammates and friends. But when she doesn't score, there are no cheers. And Mia quits. Stomping into the house, Mia's friends and family call after her to come back, but she refuses. The next day she is ready to play again, but no one waited for her. And they won't let her play!
Hamm writes about teamwork and the importance of sticking with a task, win or lose in this charming little picture book. The illustrations are fun and the fact that the heroine is a little active girl is the icing on the cake. Loved it!
Hamm writes about teamwork and the importance of sticking with a task, win or lose in this charming little picture book. The illustrations are fun and the fact that the heroine is a little active girl is the icing on the cake. Loved it!
October 31, 2008
Although Mia Hamm's name is on this book, it is really just about a regular girl who learns the value of sportsmanship. One of the most interesting pages comes inside the book cover where there are pictures representing how she grew up with soccer. The first picture is a baby in a basket with a soccer ball sitting next to her tied up in a ribbon, then she is a baby sitting up, and so on, until at the end you see her with the ball and a big smile on her face. Both boys and girls can relate to this story of "winners never quit". The vocabulary is accurate and the way in which the characters dialog is true to the age. The last pages of the book are photographs of Mia Hamm playing soccer, including a photo of her winning the World Championship in 1999. I love that there is a good role model in sports for girls, but boys would enjoy this book as well.
October 24, 2009
This is an autobiography written by U.S. Soccer Star, Mia Hamm. Most my students did not know who she was, however her picture book story has a great theme and story plot. Mia as a young girl loved to play soccer and got used to always scoring goals. Mia begins missing goals, quickly becomes discouraged, and eventually, quits playing with those in her neighborhood. As Mia watches the other children play soccer, she finds that playing is more important than always winning. Further, Mia learns an important life lesson-Winner Never Quit!.
I recommend this story to any student grades 2-4. It was a nice story to teach character traits, connections, and summarizing. With that, my students liked the autobiography genre that our curriculum does not expose the children to very often.
I recommend this story to any student grades 2-4. It was a nice story to teach character traits, connections, and summarizing. With that, my students liked the autobiography genre that our curriculum does not expose the children to very often.
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September 24, 2009This book is a great book to read and follow with talking about good sportsmanship. In my classroom I would read this book and then as a class talk about what good sportsmanship is and when we need to use good sportsmanship. We would talk about recess, games played in the classroom, PE class, and any other times that the students can think of that they need to use good sportsmanship. Talking about good sportsmanship could build into making playground rules and playing fair. With this book, we could also discuss that winning is not everything.
January 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and the message it sends to its readers (especially young children) is very important. I feel this book would work great with any level because the thought of quitting can relate to everyone in any area. This book could be read to the class when a big test is coming up or even just an ordinary day to remind the students to give it their best in school, sports, hobbies, etc.
November 15, 2007
Is an awesome soccer book written by an awesome soccer player!
August 29, 2016
I read this for something I'm doing on my job. It's a simple picture book about Mia Hamm as a child and teaches the value of never giving up.
November 29, 2024
Winners Never Quit! by Mia Hamm is a lesson we should all learn. In the story, the main character Mia is playing soccer with her sisters and brothers. At one point, she was losing and decided to quit, so the next time her siblings played soccer, she wasn’t invited. However, when she was given a second chance, she did not waste it. As she lost, Mia realized that working together in a team and playing soccer was more rewarding than winning or losing. Mia Hamm did an amazing job of creating a children’s book. Using her own experiences, this short memoir teaches kids valuable lessons. Two lessons children can learn from this memoir are perseverance and working with a team. One of the major themes in this book is accepting that it’s okay to lose. In the beginning, Mia quit when she couldn’t get the ball inside the goal. She went back inside her home, angry and frustrated. The next day, she saw everyone playing soccer without her which made her feel more upset than losing. When one of her siblings was not winning but still played, Mia realized that sometimes losing is okay. The second major theme in this book is perseverance as well. In the same example, Mia understood that playing was more important and she just needed to keep on practicing and trying. This was a WOW book for me because it’s a short memoir, but it holds so much power. When children watch stars persistently putting in effort, even in the face of setbacks, they resonate with them and often follow their behavior.
Two of the writing craft techniques the author used in this story were personal anecdotes and repetitions. The personal anecdotes added to the story because they made the storyline intimate. Losing is a natural part of life, so knowing others go through losses (especially celebrities/influencers) makes them not so bad. It also creates a connection between the writer and readers which inspires them to keep on moving forward. Repetitions added to the story because the main message was being expressed. The repetition of the phrase “winners never quit” indicates that you’re always a winner when you try your hardest and persevere; you only lose when you quit and give up. I would consider this to be an anti-bias book because the author shared her experience as a kid without indulging in inappropriate assumptions.
Two of the writing craft techniques the author used in this story were personal anecdotes and repetitions. The personal anecdotes added to the story because they made the storyline intimate. Losing is a natural part of life, so knowing others go through losses (especially celebrities/influencers) makes them not so bad. It also creates a connection between the writer and readers which inspires them to keep on moving forward. Repetitions added to the story because the main message was being expressed. The repetition of the phrase “winners never quit” indicates that you’re always a winner when you try your hardest and persevere; you only lose when you quit and give up. I would consider this to be an anti-bias book because the author shared her experience as a kid without indulging in inappropriate assumptions.
May 1, 2018
1. None
2. Kindergarten-2nd Grade
3. Mia Hamm was not always the soccer super star that she is today, it took her a lot of time and hard work to be where she is today. This book shows us the struggle Mia went through as a young child along with her perseverance to never give up.
4. This book is a great read for all children, it shows a very important life lesson to never give up. It has easy to read language and colorful illustrations. The book also contains a special message from Mia Hamm in the back which is really cool.
5. I could use this book in my class to transition into creating a bio about their athlete or person. In the back of the book Mia Hamm added a couple pages that resemble a scrap book, I could teach my class about scrapbooking and have them create their own mini scrap book of themselves.
2. Kindergarten-2nd Grade
3. Mia Hamm was not always the soccer super star that she is today, it took her a lot of time and hard work to be where she is today. This book shows us the struggle Mia went through as a young child along with her perseverance to never give up.
4. This book is a great read for all children, it shows a very important life lesson to never give up. It has easy to read language and colorful illustrations. The book also contains a special message from Mia Hamm in the back which is really cool.
5. I could use this book in my class to transition into creating a bio about their athlete or person. In the back of the book Mia Hamm added a couple pages that resemble a scrap book, I could teach my class about scrapbooking and have them create their own mini scrap book of themselves.
April 14, 2019
Winners Never Quit! is a truly amazing teaching tool. This book is great for readers to relate to. Sore winning and sore losing are sometimes hard lessons for children to learn, however this book is a perfect way of teaching kids this skill. The book highlights how being gracious whether you win or lose is more important than winning. Children who play sports can identify with Mia, they will resonate beautifully with this story and likely adapt it to their own lives. This book has a great take-home message for readers and is an entertaining read.
This book is great for elementary-aged kids to expose them to being gracious in sports. An activity children can participate in would be doing role-playing and reactions infront of the class if one is assigned the winner of the game, do a skit on how that gracious winner should act/say after learning from the book.
This book is great for elementary-aged kids to expose them to being gracious in sports. An activity children can participate in would be doing role-playing and reactions infront of the class if one is assigned the winner of the game, do a skit on how that gracious winner should act/say after learning from the book.
April 2, 2022
I gave this book 5 stars solely because of the message that the book was sending to young readers. The book was revolved around the message of not giving up. The twist of the book that made it so enjoyable was when the character Mia comes back to try soccer again she is not focused on being good at the sport, but instead was focused on her enjoying that she had the ability to play and enjoy herself. It also sends a good message of how others around you can pick you up and help you come back from things that you may be struggling with.
April 17, 2019
I think this book is good for grades 2-4. This book was about a girl playing soccer who hated losing and wanted to quit. This story is not only inspirational to see females in sports but to also teach the lesson that winners don't quit. I would use this in the classroom to teach perseverance and to use when students are struggling with quitting.
February 13, 2019
This autobiography picture book is a great way to get students thinking about perserverance and grit. It shows that giving up is never the answer. I love how it includes a letter from Mia Hamm about never giving up. Grades 1-2.
December 11, 2017
Good children's story about never giving up.
October 3, 2019
Great book for teaching kids about perseverance and good sportsmanship.
January 1, 2020
It was great learning about Mia hamm and teaching students about the power of perseverance.
March 27, 2020
Inspiring story good for small children to read.
March 29, 2020
One of my favorite sports is soccer i play it with my gramma unit she when to the hospil
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April 26, 2021great book about the emotional side of sports. good book for young children to see good examples on how to react to losing situations
March 26, 2025
I LOVE SOCCER AND MIA HAMM!!!!!!!!!⚽️⚽️⚽️🏃🏽♀️
January 1, 2026
Good story
October 29, 2020
This is a great story about famous soccer player, Mia Hamm, and her struggles with accepting a loss. Mia loves soccer and plays everyday with her brothers and sisters. One day, no matter how hard she tired, she just couldn't score a goal. Because she was losing, Mia quit. Even with encouragement from her brother Garrett to keep playing, Mia still quit. The next day when Mia went to play soccer, her siblings had started without her and told her that quitters can't play on their team. Mia was bummed, but listened and sat on the side to watch. The next day, Mia's brother Garrett picked her to be on his team. As Mia played, she finally learned that playing was more important than winning or losing. This story is great for the classroom because it has supportive characters (Mia's older brother Garrett) and also shares an important lesson to the readers about not worrying about winning or losing, but just playing the game. This can be a helpful lesson both academically and social-emotionally. The illustrations in the book also show diversity in characters, and the text structure is easy to follow along with, with a clear lesson/message. I love this book, and only wish it was longer!
January 29, 2015
Mia is a little girl who loves to play all different sports especially soccer. However, Mia gets very frustrated and quits playing soccer with her friends every time she misses a goal. Eventually, her friends do not let her play anymore. This teaches Mia that it is okay to lose and that winners never quit.
There is a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this book very entertaining to read out loud. Some examples are, “tap, tap, tap” when Mia is dribbling the soccer ball and “smack” when Mia shoots the ball. The onomatopoeia allows the reader to become more engaged in the story. I think that students would enjoy this book being read to them because the figurative language would keep their attention throughout the entire story.
The text and the illustrations seem to flow very well together. The illustrations represent what the text states. In addition, some words that are in the text are also drawn into the illustrations. For example, when Lovdy calls Mia a quitter, the word “quitter” appears to be drawn like a child using a colored pencil. This feature adds to the illustrations and connects them to the text even more. The illustrations also seem to be creative. At the beginning of the book it says that Mia loves basketball and baseball, but she loves soccer the most. The illustration shows Mia holding a soccer ball in place of a basketball and baseball. I think this is a key element in the illustrations because it reinforces the fact that Mia loves soccer the most.
While this book does have a lesson, it is not overly didactic. The message in the book is that winners never quit. However, the book teaches this lesson in a creative way. The book shows the reader what consequences Mia faces when she does quit. In addition, when Mia is allowed back in the soccer game, she finds out that it is okay to lose. To me, the message is very important but it is presented in an fitting way.
There is a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this book very entertaining to read out loud. Some examples are, “tap, tap, tap” when Mia is dribbling the soccer ball and “smack” when Mia shoots the ball. The onomatopoeia allows the reader to become more engaged in the story. I think that students would enjoy this book being read to them because the figurative language would keep their attention throughout the entire story.
The text and the illustrations seem to flow very well together. The illustrations represent what the text states. In addition, some words that are in the text are also drawn into the illustrations. For example, when Lovdy calls Mia a quitter, the word “quitter” appears to be drawn like a child using a colored pencil. This feature adds to the illustrations and connects them to the text even more. The illustrations also seem to be creative. At the beginning of the book it says that Mia loves basketball and baseball, but she loves soccer the most. The illustration shows Mia holding a soccer ball in place of a basketball and baseball. I think this is a key element in the illustrations because it reinforces the fact that Mia loves soccer the most.
While this book does have a lesson, it is not overly didactic. The message in the book is that winners never quit. However, the book teaches this lesson in a creative way. The book shows the reader what consequences Mia faces when she does quit. In addition, when Mia is allowed back in the soccer game, she finds out that it is okay to lose. To me, the message is very important but it is presented in an fitting way.
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