Random House Publishing Group
Search
Expand Mobile Menu
Beyond the Game: Maya Moore
Read an Excerpt

Beyond the Game: Maya Moore

About the Book

Beyond the Game is a new nonfiction chapter book series about athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of WNBA star Maya Moore and her social justice work.

Before she became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before she began speaking out for prison reform, Maya Moore was just a kid.

In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, readers learn more about the life and work of Maya Moore—from growing up with a single mother in Jefferson City, Missouri, to her journey to becoming a star player at UCONN and the WNBA, to her social justice fighting for prison reform and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.

While known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Maya Moore has changed the world beyond sports.

Complete with black-and-white illustrations throughout, statistics, resources, and ways for kids to make a difference on their own—Beyond the Game is a giftable and inspirational series for every reader.
Read more
Close

Praise for Beyond the Game: Maya Moore

"With wide-spaced lines of text and attractive, digital illustrations in black and white, the books in this series will appeal to young readers with an interest in basketball and how some of its brightest stars are using their wealth and influence to improve the lives of others. This series’ dual purpose offers a refreshing shift of emphasis from the usual sports biographies."--Booklist Reviews

". . . Maraniss commends her particularly here for suddenly retiring in 2019 to campaign for the release of Jonathan Irons, a Black man who at age 18 was unjustly convicted by an all-white jury of burglary and assault and sentenced to 50 years in prison. . . 'Anyone can make a difference,' he closes. 'And everyone should try' . . . message-driven but centered on a well-chosen example."--Kirkus Reviews
Read more
Close
Close
Excerpt

Beyond the Game: Maya Moore

CHAPTER ΟNE
Every Morning When three-­year-­old Maya Moore got out of bed, she treated the day as an opportunity for an adventure. Maya had so much energy that her mom, Kathryn, always knew where Maya was—­even if she couldn’t see her, she could hear her.
There went Maya, running fast, screaming loud, knocking things over, having fun. She was an energetic toddler whose motor never stopped running.
Crash, bang, boom!
A little girl like that was a handful for a single mom.Working and raising a child by herself in Jefferson City, Missouri, Kathryn desperately needed a way to keep Maya busy and find an outlet for her energy.
One day, Kathryn made a simple decision that changed Maya’s life: she bought a small plastic basketball hoop and attached it to a door in their apartment.
From that day on, Maya spent hours running down the hall and shooting at her little hoop.
She fell in love with basketball.
Maya may have come into this world on June 11, 1989, but the day that basketball hoop appeared in her apartment was the day a superstar was born.

Beyond the Game: Athletes Change the World Series

Beyond the Game: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone
Beyond the Game: Pat Tillman
Beyond the Game: LeBron James
Beyond the Game: Maya Moore

About the Author

Andrew Maraniss
New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss writes sports-and history-related nonfiction, telling stories with a larger social message. His first book, Strong Inside, received the Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards' Special Recognition Prize for social justice, becoming the first sports-related book ever to win either award. His young readers adaptation of Strong Inside was named one of the Top Biographies for Youth by the American Library Association and was named a Notable Social Studies Book by the Children's Book Council. His acclaimed second book for kids Games of Deception was a Sydney Taylor Book Award Middle Grade Honor Recipient, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was praised by authors Steve Sheinkin and Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Andrew is a contributor to ESPN's sports and race website, TheUndefeated.com, and is a visiting author at the Vanderbilt University Athletic Department. More by Andrew Maraniss
Decorative Carat

About the Author

DeAndra Hodge
New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss writes sports-and history-related nonfiction, telling stories with a larger social message. His first book, Strong Inside, received the Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards' Special Recognition Prize for social justice, becoming the first sports-related book ever to win either award. His young readers adaptation of Strong Inside was named one of the Top Biographies for Youth by the American Library Association and was named a Notable Social Studies Book by the Children's Book Council. His acclaimed second book for kids Games of Deception was a Sydney Taylor Book Award Middle Grade Honor Recipient, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was praised by authors Steve Sheinkin and Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Andrew is a contributor to ESPN's sports and race website, TheUndefeated.com, and is a visiting author at the Vanderbilt University Athletic Department. More by DeAndra Hodge
Decorative Carat

By clicking submit, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.

Random House Publishing Group