Arthur Ashe

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-A gentleman, an athlete, and an activist, Ashe made significant contributions to his country and to the world. This clearly written, sensitive, 10-chapter biography accurately describes his early life and his determined rise as a world-class tennis player, his successes and struggles, his commitment to humane causes, and his final battle with AIDS. The text is dotted with good-quality, captioned black-and-white photographs of the subject and the people in his life. Students interested in athletes, tennis, or civil rights will find Collins's book interesting, informative, and readable.-Janice C. Hayes, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreeboro

Anne O'Malley

Arthur Ashe grew up playing and perfecting his tennis game at Brook Field Park in segregated Richmond, Virginia, where his father worked as a supervisor. Even as a teenager, his skill attracted national attention, and Ashe was offered the chance to finish high school in St. Louis and to train in a special tennis program. Then came a UCLA scholarship and a spot on that school's illustrious tennis team. Ashe went on to worldwide renown, of course, and an early, tragic death from AIDS in 1993. Collins portrays this champion in a fine sports journalism style. Readers will "be there" for Ashe as he applies the tenacious discipline necessary to perfect his skill and rise to great heights in the tennis world; as he begins his fight to compete in the South African Open in the late sixties and then continues to fight apartheid; as he pulls off a thrilling Wimbledon victory against Jimmy Connors in 1975; and finally, as Ashe faces his final battle with characteristic grace. A portrait of an inspiring sports champion, humanitarian, and civil rights activist, this biography, a People in Focus series title, is a sure winner in school and public libraries. Black-and-white photos; bibliography; chronology.