How a German-Jewish refugee physician came to England and helped people with spinal injuries recover and play sports.  Archival photos, cartoon illustrations, timeline and athletes profiles.   I found this book outstanding.

This inspiring chapter book biography shares the story of Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympics. He was a German-Jewish doctor who escaped to England before WWII, and after years of patient care and research, he developed life-saving treatment techniques for paralytics. As many paralyzed men returned from war, he helped them survive, regain their will to live, and recover basic skills through rehabilitative therapies. He also began to host sports events to help his patients redevelop strength and enjoy recreation. This led to the creation of the Paralympic Games. I enjoyed reading this incredible story, and never would have imagined that one man could accomplish so much in this field.

This is a wonderful historical source. Even though the simple sentences and cartoon illustrations make it accessible to the target middle grade audience, it is well-researched and can appeal to all ages. The author shares lots of photographic reproductions, provides thorough citations, and includes a detailed timeline in the back, making this is a great choice for both families and schools. I especially appreciate how it shows the intersection between major historical events and changing societal views towards the disabled.

At the end of the book, the author shares photographs and short bios of different Paralympic victors from throughout the years, providing examples of how people with a range of different disabilities can compete in sports. This shows how greatly Guttmann's legacy has affected people even outside of his medical field, and it is joyful and inspiring, showing that it is possible to overcome physical limitations and disruptive tragedies to still enjoy life. This book celebrates the value of human life, and gives credit to the pioneer in this field while also honoring the accomplishments of specific athletes.

The neurologist whose methods promised recovery for people with spinal cord injuries also enhanced their lives through sports. Dr. Ludwig Gutmann was a lifelong advocate for the equality of disabled people and his personal story of having escaped the Nazis and overcome prejudice even when re-located to England is inspiring. Alexander and Drummond do an outstanding job of introducing the person responsible for the paralympic games. Archival photos, cartoon illustrations, timeline and athletes’ profiles add to the excellence of this book.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to review an Advance Reader Copy. This book will be available for purchase on April 7, 2020.

The world is currently in the midst of a pandemic, which has prohibited many sports teams from competing or even practicing. This might not seem like the perfect time for a book about sports to be released. Still, I think it is the perfect time for this book about sports. Social distancing had a different meaning to soldiers with spinal cord injuries after World War I. They were seen as a lost cause and were given little help, even from the medical community, to survive. A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games, written by Lori Alexander and illustrated by Allan Drummond, tells the story of one doctor who refused to accept the status quo and upended society’s beliefs about disability in general.

Ludwig Guttmann worked as an orderly in hospitals during World War I and he was saddened by the way that paraplegics were treated. They were seen as a lost cause. He worked in hospitals in Germany as a neurosurgeon until the Nazi Party made it impossible for him to stay. Ludwig ended up working for the British army and he came up with several innovative ideas to assess neurological functioning. If you have ever had a sweat test, you can thank Dr. Guttmann. Eventually, he got a job at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where he treated soldiers with spinal cord injuries. Unlike the treatments he saw after World War I, Dr. Guttmann pushed his patients to remain hopeful and to use their bodies, just in new ways. One day, he saw a group of patients outside in their wheelchairs, hitting something on the ground with sticks. They were playing hockey. Ludwig started to incorporate sports into his patients’ treatment plans.

It was only when Ludwig began organizing competitions between hospitals that his new methods came to the attention of the public. Soon, hospitals in different countries wanted to compete and there were so many competitors that qualifying rounds needed to be held. Does this sound familiar? It was starting to be just like the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee was interested. The Paralympics began and demonstrated to people around the world that individuals with disabilities were just as capable of dramatic feats as their non-disabled peers. When it came to courage and persistence, their accomplishments were even larger.

All of this happened because one man was unwilling to accept death as the inevitable result of spinal injury. He didn’t just give people back their lives, he gave them back their humanity. He saw each patient as an individual capable of great things and he did everything within his power to convince the patients, and others around them, that he was right.

The book is organized into short chapters that capture different parts of Ludwig's life. His commitment to helping others comes through very well in Alexander's writing and will be inspirational to young readers. The photographs throughout the book give readers a sense of the times in which these events occurred and might allow them to make connections with other books that they have read. Drummond's illustrations bring life and levity to a book about complex subject matter. 

Right now, we need books for children that celebrate life and encourage inventiveness. With Alexander’s writing, Drummond’s illustrations, and many archival photographs, A Sporting Chance is the perfect book for children unwilling to accept the status quo.

I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley. I am always excited to see more diversity and disability represented in historical books.