It is time for football! I love football and everything else that comes in the fall. For all the football fans, big and little, I have a list of fiction and non-fiction books you can read this fall.
Football Books
More Resources for Little Book Lovers
The best way to encourage a love of reading is to provide kids with many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of books that are of interest to them. That’s why we share so many books lists on Fantastic Fun and Learning. We want to make it easy for you to find great books your kids will love. Over the years we’ve also discovered some helpful tools for connecting kids and books.
Digital libraries are one very handy way to do this. Epic! is one of our favorite online libraries. It’s full of over 25,000 books, learning videos, quizzes and more for kids 12 and under…and it’s free for educators. Click here to learn more and sign up.
Book Boxes are another fun way to get kids excited about reading. What kid doesn’t love to get a special delivery in the mail?! The crew over at Bookroo finds the best little known books that you won’t already have in your library, and they send them to you each month. Take a peak inside a Bookroo Box here.
Book-Based Activities are also a lot of fun for kids. Jodie over at Growing Book by Book has saved us all a ton of time and created a full year of Book-Based Activity Calendars so that you can extend the fun with a special book each week.
Football Books
Dino-Football by Lisa Wheeler
In Dino Football the Greenblade Snackers face the Redscales in the Mega Sunday Bowl. The rhyming story follows each team through the game as they fight for the win. For football and dinosaur lovers this is a must read.
The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way by Dan Gutman
The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way tells the true story of a 1929 game. The book is told as a grandfather tells his grandson the story of the game. I liked the comic book style of illustrations.
Hooray for Fly Guy! By Tedd Arnold
Hooray for Fly Guy is a hilarious story of how Fly Guy helps the football team even though they do not think a fly can play. This early chapter book is great for young readers and little ones that love to have books read to them.
Kick, Pass, and Run by Leonard P.Kessler
When a group of animals find a football they discover the exciting game of football. This is a simple read that uses football terms which is great for little ones that are beginning to learn about football.
Miss Nelson has a Field Day by Harry Allard
In Miss Nelson has a Field Day, Viola Swamp is back at Horace B Smedley School. This time she is getting the football team into shape for the big Thanksgiving game. If you enjoy the Miss Nelson books you will enjoy this story.
The End Zone by Lori Mortensen
The End Zone is about Olivia and the boys flag-football team she wants to play on. The book is a graphic novel for elementary aged readers that shows girls can play football too.
Family Huddle by Peyton Manning
Family Huddle is written by the Manning family based on memories from when Cooper, Eli and Peyton were young. Football and family are very important to all of them and this book shows their love for both. This is a great book for little Manning fans.
The Dog That Stole Football Plays by Matt Christopher
In The Dog That Stole Football Plays, Mike’s dog Harry is able to talk to him and give him advice that helps his team. For dog and football lovers, this is a perfect mix of both. The book uses higher vocabulary and is an early chapter book.
Go Ahead and Dream by Karen Kingsbury and Alex Smith
Go Ahead and Dream tells the story of 49er’s quarterback Alex Smith and his best friend. The story begins when the boys were little and dreamed big dreams and with the help of Alex’s grandfather they strive toward their dreams even when they are discouraged. Readers are reminded that with hard work and determination, no dream is too big.
The Greatest Game Ever Played by Phil Bildner
The Greatest Game Ever Played tells the story of the 1958 NFL championship game between the NY Giants and the Baltimore Colts. A father and son discover a love for football while watching the game along with the rest of America. I love the illustrations in this book as they give the book a vintage feel.
Gunner, Football Hero by James E. Ransome
In Gunner, Football Hero, Gunner loves football but he is not like the other players and his team doesn’t expect much from him. When he is needed in the championship game, Gunner shows his team that he has determination and just what it takes. There is a twist at the end but readers will learn that you should not judge a person until you have seen them in action.
You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy
This is a sweet story of a little boy who doesn’t know what he wants to do when he grows up. With the help of his family, he discovers something that really interests him. You Can Do It, is not about just football but there are parts that include football. I liked that each member of the family had their own interests and were encouraged to follow their dream.
I Told You I Can Play! by Brian Jordan
I Told You I Can Play reminds us that no matter how small, everyone deserves a chance. Brian wanted to play with his older brother and his friends and he knows he needs to be tough to play with them. This is a great story that shows us to never give up.
Goodnight Football by Michael Dahl
Goodnight Football is a perfect bedtime story. A young boy and his family attend a football game and see so many sights and sounds. After the game they say goodnight to the team, bleachers and moon. This rhyming story is a great read for little fans, and big ones too.
Little Granny Quarterback by Bill Martin
Little Granny Quarterback is a fun book that we wanted to include. Granny Whiteoak remembers when she was a quarterback and wants to play again. Will she be able to make up for the game she lost? This book was featured on the football sensory post.
Nonfiction Books
My Football Book by Gail Gibbons
My Football Book gives lots of information using diagrams for the uniform, the field and playing positions. This book can be used to teach your little sports fan all about the game.
Little Football (Little Sports) by Brad Herzog
Little Football is a fun book that teaches kids about different items used in football. The rhyming riddles are fun to read and help kids learn how to describe things.
T is for Touchdown: A Football Alphabet by Brad Herzog
I love all the books in this alphabet book series. This book includes information about rules, history, players, and equipment in football.
1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
Older football fans will enjoy the lists that tell you all about the top things in football. The lists include top 10 fans and top 10 wild weather games.
Sports Illustrated Kids Rookie Books Series by Mark Weakland
Each of the books in the Kids Rookie Book series teach the alphabet, opposites and colors using photographs from football. These are board books which makes them great for little hands. The series includes the following books:
Football ABC Football Opposites Football Colors
My First Team Board Book Series by Brad M. Epstein
My First Team Board Book is a great series for teaching your little one about your favorite team. The books are simple and feature different things that are unique to each team. The series includes:
Baltimore Ravens 101 Kansas City Chiefs 101 Detroit Lions 101 Cleveland Brown’s 101 Buffalo Bills 101 Pittsburgh Steelers 101 Atlanta Falcons 101 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 101 Carolina Panthers 101 Arizona Cardinals 101 Houston Texans 101 Jacksonville Jaguars 101 Tennessee Titans 101 Cincinnati Bengals 101 Seattle Seahawks 101 Denver Broncos 101
My First Alphabet Book by Brad M. Epstein
My First Alphabet Book series is another great book for football fans. The small board books are good for little readers and teach the alphabet along with information about football. The series includes:
NFL Football ABC San Francisco 49ers Washington Redskins Green Bay Packers Baltimore Ravens New Orleans Saints Detroit Lions Seattle Seahawks New York Jets Pittsburgh Steelers Chicago Bears New York Giants Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots Dallas Cowboys
There are so many great books to pick from on this list. Did you find a book you will read to your little football fan? Do you have a must read football book we missed? Let us know in the comments.
More Football Fun
Try some football inspired sensory play with this fun idea!
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