Nearly 40 years ago, Richard Williams met Oracene Price, and
they got married. Oracene had three daughters, Richard had
six children, but there’s always room for more: in 1980,
Venus Ebony Starr was born, followed by Serena Jameka a
little more than a year later. The family lived in Michigan
then; they moved to California when the girls were small.
It was there, in Compton, where Richard got a great idea.
He’d been watching tennis, and he knew his girls could
become stars. His stepdaughters really weren’t interested,
but four-year-old Venus absolutely loved smacking tennis
balls over the net. Serena learned to love it a year later,
and their father proceeded to teach his girls “everything he
knew about tennis.”
Their lessons weren’t held in the best tennis court, though.
The court surface was cracked and weeds were growing through
it. The net was tattered and it was all located in a
dangerous neighborhood. Still, it was where Venus and Serena
could practice all they wanted and soon, even local gang
members recognized the girls’ talent.
By age 11, Venus had won 63 of her 72 matches in junior
level; she went pro three years later. When Serena was 11
years old, she racked up wins in 46 of 49 matches in junior
level; she turned pro at age 15. The adult tennis world took
notice of the girls, and not just because they were African
Americans in a mostly-white sport. Serena and Venus were mad
talented, too!
Yes, it was true that the girls’ father had “pushed their
careers forward.” It was he who encouraged them to practice
and play, but the girls “did the difficult work on the
court.” And by the time they were in their mid-teens, “The
Williams sisters were ready to take the professional tennis
world by storm.”
At some point in the next few months, there’s a good
possibility that your child will need to read a biography.
So why not make it one that inspires – like Who Are Venus
and Serena Williams?
You might think that everybody knows all about these two
talented women, but author James Buckley Jr. gives the story
a more kid-friendly take here, with anecdotes that will
delight young readers. Astute kids may notice the story
wanders now and then – the sport can overshadow the
biography – but Buckley pulls the focus back soon enough,
giving kids an all-around look at sisters who’ve ensured
“The world of professional tennis will never be the same…”
Meant for eight-to-12-year-olds, this book could also work
to supplement the knowledge of a slightly older student who
needs it. For them, Who are Venus and Serena Williams?
will have them making noise. |