Sports Close-Up Books in Order
Part ofJulian May Books in OrderBrowse the Sports Close-Up books by Julian May, with brief summaries, series background, and a quick guide to these sports biographies for younger readers.
Last updated: June 8, 2026
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Publication Order
20 books
Johnny Unitas and the Long Pass
by Julian May
1972
A football story for younger readers built around Johnny Unitas and the passing game that made him a star. It captures the cool leadership and big-play style he brought to the field.
Willie Mays, Most Valuable Player
by Julian May
1972
A quick life of Willie Mays, blending his all-around talent with the honors and highlights of a superstar career. It gives younger readers an easy entry point into one of baseball's greats.
Bobby Orr, Star On Ice
by Julian May
1973
A short biography of Bobby Orr, the defenseman who changed hockey with speed, offense, and control of the game. It gives younger readers a clear sense of why he stood out.
Ernie Banks, Home Run Slugger
by Julian May
1973
A warm portrait of Ernie Banks, beloved Cubs star and powerful hitter. It follows his road to the majors and the home runs that made him unforgettable to fans.
Fran Tarkenton, Scrambling Quarterback
by Julian May
1973
A quick biography of the inventive NFL quarterback famous for broken plays and last-second magic. It shows why Tarkenton changed how many people imagined the position.
Gale Sayers, Star Running Back
by Julian May
1973
A short biography of Gale Sayers, whose speed and open-field moves made him electric to watch. It introduces younger readers to his brief but memorable NFL career.
Roberto Clemente and the World Series Upset
by Julian May
1973
A baseball title for younger readers that uses the World Series as a way into Roberto Clemente's story. It highlights his all-around brilliance and the drama of an upset run.
Billie Jean King, Tennis Champion
by Julian May
1974
A young readers' biography of Billie Jean King, following her rise as a champion and fierce competitor. It highlights her major titles and the drive that changed women's tennis.
Bobby Hull, Hockey's Golden Jet
by Julian May
1974
A short portrait of Bobby Hull and the blazing shot that made him famous. Written for younger readers, it covers his scoring exploits and larger-than-life presence on the ice.
Hank Aaron Clinches The Pennant
by Julian May
1974
A baseball story for younger readers centered on Hank Aaron and a season-defining pennant race. It captures the pressure of the moment and the star power Aaron brought to it.
O.J. Simpson
by Julian May
1974
A short sports biography of the explosive running back whose speed made him one of football's biggest stars in the 1970s. It focuses on his playing career for younger readers.
Arthur Ashe, Dark Star Of Tennis
by Julian May
1975
A short biography of Arthur Ashe that follows his rise through segregated America to the top of world tennis. May focuses on his calm intelligence, major wins, and lasting significance in the sport.
Chris Evert
by Julian May
1975
A concise look at Chris Evert's early tennis career, cool nerves, and relentless baseline game. Written for younger readers, it follows her climb to the top of women's tennis.
Evel Knievel, Daredevil Stuntman
by Julian May
1975
A quick portrait of the motorcycle daredevil whose jumps made him a 1970s sensation. May follows the risks, crashes, and showmanship behind the Evel Knievel legend.
Evonne Goolagong
by Julian May
1975
A quick introduction to the Australian star whose speed and grace made her one of tennis's most admired players. It follows her early success and major tournament breakthroughs.
Frank Robinson
by Julian May
1975
A short biography of the powerful hitter and fierce competitor who starred in both the National and American leagues. It gives younger readers the outline of Robinson's rise and impact in baseball.
Janet Lynn, Figure Skating Star
by Julian May
1975
A young readers' biography of the American skater known for grace, speed, and artistry on the ice. It traces her training, competitions, and rise to international attention.
Muhammad Ali, Boxing Superstar
by Julian May
1975
A brief life of Muhammad Ali, from Olympic promise to heavyweight stardom. It highlights his speed, charisma, and the fights that made him one of boxing's biggest names.
Phil Esposito, The Big Bruin
by Julian May
1975
A quick look at Phil Esposito's scoring touch, physical style, and years with Boston. It is written for younger sports fans who want the story behind the nickname.
Pelé, World Soccer Star
by Julian May
1977
A short biography for younger readers covering Pelé's rise from Brazil to world fame and the skill that made him a legend. It focuses on key matches, records, and the joy he brought to the game.
Series background & context
Sports Close-Up is not a connected story series in the fantasy or science-fiction sense. It is a run of short biographies for younger readers, written when Julian May was producing a huge amount of children's nonfiction. That background matters, because these books show a different side of her skill: clear explanation, quick scene-setting, and an eye for what makes a person interesting to a young audience.
Each volume takes a single athlete, or sometimes a single athlete framed through a key moment, and turns that career into an accessible narrative. The cast includes stars from baseball, football, hockey, tennis, boxing, figure skating, soccer, and even daredevil sports entertainment. Pelé, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Bobby Orr, Evel Knievel, Arthur Ashe, Roberto Clemente, and many others appear here.
The protagonists are real people, and the stakes are real too.
For younger readers, that means the books usually focus on a few big things at once: how the athlete got started, what made them different, and which games, fights, matches, or stunts fixed them in public memory. May writes these figures as competitors under pressure rather than as distant monuments. A quarterback has to make the throw. A slugger has to come through in the pennant race. A skater has to perform when everybody is watching.
That simple structure gives the series a nice pace. The books are short, but they are built around movement and turning points, which makes sense coming from a writer who understood storytelling very well. Even when the subject is straightforward biography, there is usually a clear arc: talent appears, setbacks happen, a style emerges, a major moment lands, and the athlete's reputation takes shape.
The setting changes from book to book, ballparks, rinks, tennis courts, boxing rings, football fields, race ramps, but the series has a consistent purpose. These are books meant to introduce a younger reader to sports history through personality. They explain enough to orient you, then move quickly to the human part: nerve, discipline, flair, rivalry, and the pressure of performing in public.
Because many of the volumes were written in the 1960s and 1970s, they also give a snapshot of how sports heroes were presented to children in that era. Some books are more event-focused. Others are more purely biographical. Together, though, they form a useful little shelf of entry points into twentieth-century sports culture.
If you are browsing this page, expect short, readable profiles rather than deep modern biographies. The value is in clarity. You get the athlete, the headline achievements, the style that made them memorable, and enough context to understand why people were paying attention.
Edited by
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