ALTHEA IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! Everyone agrees: her mama, her daddy, her teacher, even the policeman. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Alt...
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May 04, 2008
Barbara
rated it: 
Summary (CIP): Althea Gibson, born in 1927, was the first African American ever to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. Sue Stauffacher's lively text, paired with vibrant paintings by artist Greg Couch, captures the exuberance, ambition, and triumph of this remarkable woman.
REVIEW: This full-sized picturebook makes an actual story out of Althea’s life, telling how the sponsorship and mentoring by a neighbor introduced her to the tennis world. Her feisty spirit got her into troubl More...
REVIEW: This full-sized picturebook makes an actual story out of Althea’s life, telling how the sponsorship and mentoring by a neighbor introduced her to the tennis world. Her feisty spirit got her into troubl More...
Aug 14, 2007
Elizabeth
rated it: 
I’m not ashamed to say it. Say the name “Althea Gibson” to me a month ago and you’d have met a blank stare. Say it to me now, however, and you may suffer the indignity of finding me thrusting Sue Stauffacher’s newest picture book, “Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson,” into your arms while screaming into your ears its high points. This might be so bad either if the book only had a high-point here or there, but the fact of the matter is that “Althea Gibson” is ALL high points. It’s a
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Nov 09, 2009
Connie
rated it:
It's always good for kids to read about flawed heroes. Nobody really, deep down, wants to read about some guy whose only "flaw" is that they didn't brush their teeth before breakfast.
Althea Gibson, as the title should make clear, has bigger flaws. As a kid, she was a petty thief. She didn't attend class. She stayed out late. And when she was given an opportunity and people fell all over themselves to help her, all she could do is say she didn't come to work on her *manners More...
Althea Gibson, as the title should make clear, has bigger flaws. As a kid, she was a petty thief. She didn't attend class. She stayed out late. And when she was given an opportunity and people fell all over themselves to help her, all she could do is say she didn't come to work on her *manners More...
Jan 23, 2010
MissDziura
rated it: 
Stauffacher's picture book written for grades 1-3 tells the story of the first famous African-American tennis player, Althea Gibson. I gave this book two stars (it was ok) because I thought that, for the most part, it did an okay job of telling her life story to its intended readers. The story of Althea Gibson is told in the third person and focuses on how, as a girl, she was "nothing but trouble." The story continues with Althea meeting a neighborhood, jazz musician Buddy Walker wh
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Nov 26, 2010
Mary Ann
rated it:
Racing through the streets of Harlem, young Althea Gibson bursts across the pages of this picture book biography about the first African-American tennis player to win at Wimbledon. Althea is nothing but trouble to many she meets. She is happiest playing stickball, basketball and paddle tennis, but when jazz musician Buddy Walker saw her potential and bought her a tennis racket, Althea learned that she “could dress up in white and act like a lady, and still beat the liver and lights out of the ba
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Oct 16, 2009
(NS) Sue
rated it:
This engaging book about Althea Gibson's life tells how she grew up as a wild tomboy in Harlem in the 1930's and 40's and with the help and inspiration of Buddy Walker, a mentor from her neighborhood, became one of the greatest female tennis players in the world. She was the first African American man or woman to compete in and win Wimbledon. The illustrator does an excellent job showing Althea's exuberance; every picture of her is encircled with bright swirls of color showing her boundless en
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Aug 08, 2011
Matthew
rated it:
This is an excellent picture book biography. I don't know that it's subject was reflected in such a positive light, but the research was thorough and the writing was strong.
Apr 07, 2008
babyhippoface
rated it:
This excellent picture book tells the story of how Althea Gibson made the transition from rough Harlem tomboy to Wimbledon champion and changed the segregated tennis world. The narrative is simple and conversational in tone. The acrylic and digital illustrations simulate old, sepia-tone photographs, but surrounding Althea in every picture is a bright, rainbow "aura" of energy that seems to vibrate with motion and sets her apart. This is an outstanding addition to elementary libraries a
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Sep 15, 2007
Mimo
rated it:
Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson is the story of the childhood of Ms. Gibson, who grew up to become the first African American to win the Wimbledon. Althea didn't pay enough attention in class, was always running, and stayed out late, and all of the adults said she was nothing but trouble. But she grew up to be nothing but trouble for her opponents. The story is wonderful and the illustrations, done by Greg Couch, are magnificent.
Feb 10, 2008
Joel
rated it:
A great story for children, with beautiful illustrations. Another fine example of how to use real people and real events to tell a story as good as any fictional one.
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