"On the Court" shares a young athlete's story of how sports can help us see beyond the things that divide us and help us appreciate our shared human experience.
Written and Illustrated by: Anna Nelson
About Anna Nelson: Although Anna Nelson feels like she is obsessed with something new every other week (currently she is learning to juggle), books and anime have always been consistent interests in her life. Anna picked up the first book in the Harry Potter series of novels when she was 9 and never looked back. Whenever she feels troubled or stressed, all it takes to calm her down is a couple of chapters from a Percy Jackson book. Anime (a style of Japanese film and television animation) is another interest of Anna’s, although calling it an obsession would be more accurate. It’s importance to her is indescribable. Anna’s favourite anime is called One Piece! She has also played soccer for almost a decade and loves it.
A major reason why Anna submitted her book to the Diverse Minds Creative Writing Competition was because she wanted to provide joy for others, much like how her interests do for her. The fact that the theme for Diverse Minds is diversity made it an even better fit. Anna is a mixed race girl who only recently accepted herself, so helping others do the same means a lot to her. Diversity in children’s literature is important to Anna. She strongly believes that who we become is intrinsically tied to how we were raised, our experiences, and the media we consume as children. Showing children that it’s okay for them to love themselves, no matter what, will make them feel better about themselves as adults, and allow them to grow up to be caring, accepting and kind people in the future. For that reason, Anna thinks that Diverse Minds is such an important project, and was happy to be able to participate!
8.75 x 8.75 x 0.3 inches. Hardcover picture book with full colour interiors.