Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Somehow. I had never heard of these two remarkable women, but boy they were something special! It sounds like they walked so Venus and Serena Williams could run! I will be definitely doing more research online about these two women. This is a fantastic book to read to both boys but also especially girls, as it shows they can do anything! Loved this book and its message!
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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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"In the 1950's, everything in the world of competitive tennis was white
- the outfits, the balls, even the players.
Except Althea Gibson."

In America, top notch player Althea Gibson was repeatedly denied membership in the top tennis league because of her skin color. Across the sea, in England Angela Brittan was denied membership in all the top tennis clubs because she was Jewish. This book chronicles how booh women overcame the prejudicial barriers and how they became friends and became pairs champions. Lori Dublin's simple text is easy to understand and young sports fans will enjoy this book. Amanda Quartey's illustrations are bright and colorful. Dubbin enjoys writing about little know people who have made great contributions to the world. This book shows the parallel experiences of discrimination that two women experienced and how they made a difference. Today professional sports include athletes of all colors and heritages. This story of friendship shows how hard work, dedication and teamwork can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, but I can honestly recommend this book for any youngster who loves sports and for kids who like to read biographies. It is a great example of "girl power" as these women make great role models. Teachers will want a copy for their classroom. It is not only great for free reading time but It can be used for Women's History Month, Black History Month,or Jewish Heritage Month.

Review coming soon!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.

I recommend this book on five shelves in my TrueStory Bookshop:
True Stories~Tennis
True Stories~Athletes
True Stories~Jewish Heritage Stories
True Stories~Black History
True Stories~Women’s History

Excellent picture book about the partnership between Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton. Both women faced discrimination in tennis and overcame it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the eARC!

"Perfect Match" is an excellent portrayal of two extraordinary tennis players who both faced different versions of segregation. One inspired the other and both worked together to become champions.

As girls and teens, each girl just wanted to play the game she loved but was prevented by unfair rulings. When African American Althea Gibson broke through and was able to play in tournaments, she inspired British Jewess Angela Buxton to work even harder until she was able to represent her country on Tour. They became good friends and even became partners in tennis doubles. When they worked together and to their strengths, they were nearly unbeatable.
The illustrations by Amanda Quartey are fun, simple, brilliantly colorful, and delightful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Lerner Publishing Group/Kar-Ben Publishing ®via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Sept 10, 2024
#Althea Gibson #Angela Buxton #ProTennis @CBCBook #BlackHero #JewishHero #1950s

This was a very interesting true story about two tennis players who became great friends and a doubles tennis team. A great read for all ages!!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.75 out of 5 stars.

Received for review: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was extremely informative. I was aware of Althea Gibson, but I was not familiar with Angela Buxton. Althea was denied entry into tennis in the US because she was Black; Angela was denied entry in the UK because she was Jewish. I loved how the authors detailed their achievements, their friendship, and their hard work. I think this is an inspiring book that children (particularly those who love sports) will enjoy. This book chronicles the start of their careers, but mostly focuses on their partnership.

I thought the prose could have been written in a slightly more entertaining manner; however, I am still glad I read the book.

Pages: 32 pages

Reading age:6-9 years

Love,

Danica Page

Loved this story and didn't know about Angela and Althea. A great message for children to follow their dreams and go against adversity (and also the very important message about the history of racism and antisemitism in our world). The illustrations were great. Great book!

Although I was already familiar with Althea Gibson, the boundary-breaking African American tennis star, I wasn't aware of Angela Buxton, a British tennis player who faced discrimination because of her Jewish identity. This inspiring nonfiction picture book describes each woman's personal journey, highlights their friendship, and tells about their experience training for and winning doubles matches together.

This book is a wonderful story of perseverance and friendship, and it will appeal to kids who are interested in sports, women's history, and Civil Rights history. The author's note includes more details, along with some great historic photos, and I'm glad that I had the chance to read this uplifting true story.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me read an advance copy in exchange for a review.

I know of Althea Gibson but I had never heard of Angela Buxton and did not realize what they accomplished together. Gibson was denied entry into tennis clubs and associations due to her color. Across the water in England, Buxton was experiencing the same discrimination as she was Jewish. They eventually became friends and won the Wimbledon and French Open women's doubles championships. This would be a perfect book for Women's History Month!
Has a brief bio on each athlete at the end.