Nothing But Trouble

Monday, June 30, 2008 Posted by Lori Calabrese

Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher (Author), Greg Couch (Illustrator); Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007.

Ages 4-8

In 1999, Serena Williams became the first black woman since Althea Gibson to win the U.S. Open. The next year, Venus Williams became the first black woman since Gibson to win Wimbledon. "I have all the opportunities today because of people like Althea," Venus Williams said. "Just trying to follow in her footsteps." If you want to know about the first African American woman to win Wimbledon, Sue Stauffacher's biography is it. Althea was known to be nothing but trouble. Sitting at a desk in school was not for Althea, but causing trouble was. That didn't scare away Buddy Walker, though. When he saw Althea play sports, he knew that Althea was marked for greatness. He took Althea under his wing and had her play at the Harlem River Tennis Courts. While 'adjusting' to the strict rules and being polite, Gibson went on to become the first African American woman to win Wimbledon in 1957. The illustrations make Althea pop off the page and is a wonderful tribute to a great athlete.