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Basketball Stars

Stories and Skills from the NBA's and WNBA's Best Players

Part of Sports Stars

Author Chris Navalta

Illustrated by Anderson Carman

Paperback

$13.99 US

Zeitgeist | Z Kids

6"W x 8.97"H x 0.3"D (15.2 x 22.8 x 0.8 cm) | 6 oz (181 g) | 36 per carton

On sale Jul 22, 2025 | 128 Pages | 9798217151578

Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7

Sales rights: World

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A collection of stories about great basketball players to inspire young fans, with famous skills they’ll want to try out on the court

Is your child obsessed with basketball? Do they talk nonstop about their favorite players and unforgettable games? Basketball Stars: Stories and Skills from the NBA's and WNBA's Best Players is the perfect gift for young players and fans of the sport—a treasure trove of some of the greatest and most inspiring stories in the history of professional basketball, tailored for young readers.

Authored by a sportswriter/basketball superfan, this book will teach readers about each player’s signature skills and how they practiced them to win. Readers will learn about Steph Curry’s rise to becoming a global basketball icon and his supreme ball-handling skills; Caitlin Clark’s success story and the art of the step-back; LeBron James’s path to legendary status, including his iconic moves; and many more inspiring stories and techniques from other top players. Basketball Stars features:

10 captivating stories about legends and soon-to-be legends of basketball. Go beyond just the stats to discover the secrets that propelled each player to greatness and the inspiring life lessons they learned along the way.
Signature skills from every featured player to try on the court, with step-by-step instructions to practice and improve your game.
Engaging illustrations that show each player in action, with dynamic visuals for each signature skill.

Ideal for basketball fans ages 8–12, this book will inspire both basketball fans and new readers excited to learn more about the game of basketball.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris Navalta studied journalism at Sacramento State University. As a sports reporter, he covered high school and college sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. After his days as a journalist, Chris began working in sports public relations with NBA teams (Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors) and in Minor League Baseball (Sacramento River Cats).

Chris’s first book with Zeitgeist, Basketball Stars: Stories and Skills from the NBA’s and WNBA’s Best Players, was published in 2025. Today, Chris leads award-nominated PR campaigns in the video game industry. He continues to work with athletes, connecting them with their favorite video games. View titles by Chris Navalta

Anderson Carman graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in sequential art. He is the creator and artist of Fear Hunters, Cyber League Baseball, and Stan, the Green Flamingo. He previously illustrated Soccer Stars for the Z Kids Sports Stars series. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and three kids. He was a gold medalist in the Basketball Knockout Event at his 2024 Family Reunion Olympics. View titles by Anderson Carman

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• Somalia

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• Sri Lanka

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• St. Helena

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• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

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• Taiwan

• Tanzania

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• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

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• Tuvalu

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• USA

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• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

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• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

About

10 captivating stories about legends and soon-to-be legends of basketball. Go beyond just the stats to discover the secrets that propelled each player to greatness and the inspiring life lessons they learned along the way.
Signature skills from every featured player to try on the court, with step-by-step instructions to practice and improve your game.
Engaging illustrations that show each player in action, with dynamic visuals for each signature skill.

Ideal for basketball fans ages 8–12, this book will inspire both basketball fans and new readers excited to learn more about the game of basketball.

Author

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:

• Afghanistan

• Aland Islands

• Albania

• Algeria

• Andorra

• Angola

• Anguilla

• Antarctica

• Antigua/Barbuda

• Argentina

• Armenia

• Aruba

• Australia

• Austria

• Azerbaijan

• Bahamas

• Bahrain

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Belize

• Benin

• Bermuda

• Bhutan

• Bolivia

• Bonaire, Saba

• Bosnia Herzeg.

• Botswana

• Bouvet Island

• Brazil

• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter

• Brit.Virgin Is.

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Canada

• Cape Verde

• Cayman Islands

• Centr.Afr.Rep.

• Chad

• Chile

• China

• Christmas Islnd

• Cocos Islands

• Colombia

• Comoro Is.

• Congo

• Cook Islands

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cuba

• Curacao

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

• Finland

• France

• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

• Gambia

• Georgia

• Germany

• Ghana

• Gibraltar

• Greece

• Greenland

• Grenada

• Guadeloupe

• Guam

• Guatemala

• Guernsey

• Guinea Republic

• Guinea-Bissau

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Heard/McDon.Isl

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• Iceland

• India

• Indonesia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Israel

• Italy

• Ivory Coast

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Jersey

• Jordan

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Kuwait

• Kyrgyzstan

• Laos

• Latvia

• Lebanon

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Basketball Stars

Stories and Skills from the NBA's and WNBA's Best Players

Part of Sports Stars

About

Author

Rights

Other books in this series

Other Books by this Author

About International Sales USA

Penguin Random House

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Basketball Stars

Stories and Skills from the NBA's and WNBA's Best Players

Part of Sports Stars

About

Author

Rights

Other books in this series

Other Books by this Author

Our Mission Statement

About International Sales USA

Penguin Random House