Beyond the Game: Pat Tillman

by Andrew Maraniss, DeAndra Hodge (illustrator)

Beyond the Game is a 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 NFL star Pat Tillman, who gave up his NFL career to enlist in the army.In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, readers learn more about the life and work of Pat Tillman—an NFL player who left his career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the army after 9/11, and ultimately was killed by friendly fire.After 9/11, Pat Tillman felt it was his duty as an American to stand up for the country, even though he was a pro football player in the prime of his career. He was someone who matched his toughness on the field with a soft heart, someone who always stood up for the underdog, and someone who felt an obligation to do the right thing—not depend on other people to do it. And for all his actions, Tillman often questioned his role in the military and the war—revealing the depths of his integrity and the ethical way he lived his life.Through his actions and his legacy, Pat Tillman 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.

96 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times bestselling author of STRONG INSIDE, a biography of Perry Wallace, the first African American basketball player in the SEC. The original, adult edition of the book received the Lillian Smith Book Award and the RFK Book Awards' Special Recognition Prize, while the Middle Grade adaptation was named one of the Top Biographies and Top Sports Books for Youth by the American Library Association. Andrew's next book (Nov. 2019) GAMES OF DECEPTION, is the true story of the first U.S. Olympic basketball team, at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. Andrew is a contributor to ESPN's race and sports website, TheUndefeated.com, and is a Visiting Author at Vanderbilt University Athletics. He lives in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and two young children. Follow him on Twitter @trublu24.

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This is the third in this series, which includes LeBron James and Maya Moore.

Tillman's story will be entirely new to middle grade readers, who will be interested in the combination of football and military service. Of course, the ending is sad, but Marannis does a good job of telling the story without going in to too many of the disturbing details, and points out the legacy that Tillman left. This is a short, highly illustrated biography that will appeal greatly to elementary readers and middle school ones wanting a shorter, easier book.

[Jennybeast]

Pat Tillman is an interesting choice for this series. I appreciate that so much of the book is about how he defined his own terms for excellence and constantly challenged himself. Also that he had the type of uncompromising integrity that required him to join the army to demonstrate his support for America. I appreciate that he brought a critical mind to his experience in the armed forces. I hate how tragic this story is. This one feels like its more about inner growth than about helping others on a large scale.