Children's books: teamwork
31 hand-picked books from the Bookbear catalogue tagged “teamwork”, with Indian authors first. Each one has an age range, a short description, a heads-up on any sensitive topics and a link to buy in India.
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Born to Bat: Mithali Raj (Little Leaders)
by Arthy Muthanna Singh & Mamta Nainy
Ages 5–9Indian author
A picture book inspired by the life of Mithali Raj, former captain of India's women's cricket team — how a little girl who loved to sleep and dream found the grit to become a champion.
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We Are the Champions: 40 Iconic Moments in Indian Sports
by Akshay Lokapally & Vijay Lokapally
Ages 9–14Indian author
Forty great moments from Indian sport — cricket, hockey, athletics, badminton, wrestling and more — and the players and teams behind them.
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Girls on Wheels
Ages 4–8Indian author
Inspired by India's girls' skateboarding revolution: three friends cheer each other through the falls and triumphs of learning to skate.
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Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page
by Supriya Kelkar & Jarrett Lerner
Ages 8–12Indian author✈️ Import only (pricey)
Two unlikely friends team up to save the library that brought them together.
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The Good Indian Child's Guide to Playing Cricket
Ages 5–9Indian author
A tongue-in-cheek guide to India's favourite game and what it takes to be a 'good' Indian child on the gully cricket pitch.
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Petu Pumpkin: Tooth Troubles
Ages 6–9Indian author
The Gap Club has challenged the Fourth Standard to a football match, but they can't practise without a ball, and the ball depends on Petu's wobbly tooth falling out in time. A funny chapter book about friendship, teamwork and losing your first teeth. hOle Books series.
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Petu Pumpkin: Freedom Fighter
Ages 9–12Indian author
When games periods are cancelled and their playground is threatened by land grabbers, Petu and his friends take inspiration from India's freedom fighters and protest. Along the way they face misleading media, credit-stealing politicians and scary security guards. A funny, timely story about standing up for what's fair, illustrated by Shilpa Ranade.
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The Book Ghosts
by Varsha Seshan
Ages 9–12Indian author
Five friends who secretly slip 'banned' books into their school library take on a bigger mission when a smear campaign threatens their town's free mobile library.
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Women in Blue: Sixteen Warriors, One World Cup Dream
by Suprita Das
Ages 9–14Indian author
Illustrated profiles of sixteen cricketers, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, who rose from small towns to win the 2025 Women's World Cup for India.
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Ant Party
by Ross Montgomery
Ages 3–7
Andy the ant wants a small birthday party but the whole colony turns up. Can the ants work together when an uninvited guest crashes the fun?
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We Can! Make a Difference
Ages 4–7
An inclusive picture book about 15 children planning a We Can festival, written with real children. Features diverse abilities.
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Snails of the Unexpected
by Terrie Chilvers
Ages 5–9
Snails Fergus and Shelby use mega-morphing skills to save their home and foil a dastardly plot. Laugh-out-loud fun.
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Booked (Graphic Novel)
by Kwame Alexander & Dawud Anyabwile
Ages 10–13
Twelve-year-old Nick loves football more than anything, but a divorce, a crush and a bully get in the way — the Newbery winner's verse novel as a graphic novel.
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Rebound
by Kwame Alexander & Dawud Anyabwile
Ages 10–13
The prequel to The Crossover: after his father dies, Charlie finds his way back through basketball, family and friendship, told in verse.
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Patina
Ages 10–13
Patty runs track to outrun her worries about family — but learns she can't win alone. Book two of the Track series after Ghost.
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Football School Season 1: Where Football Explains the World
by Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton
Ages 8–12
A funny, fact-packed 'school' where every lesson — maths, science, history, geography — is taught through football.
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The Kicks: Saving the Team
by Alex Morgan
Ages 8–12
New in town, Devin joins a struggling school football team and helps turn them into real teammates. Book one of the series by the US World Cup winner.
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You Are a Champion
by Marcus Rashford & Carl Anka
Ages 9–13
The England footballer shares what he learned on and off the pitch about confidence, resilience, teamwork and finding your voice.
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Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes
by Rebel Girls (foreword by Ibtihaj Muhammad)
Ages 7–12
Twenty-five true stories of women athletes from around the world, from Serena Williams to Simone Biles, each with a full-page portrait.
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Leo Messi (Little People, Big Dreams)
by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Ages 4–8
How a small boy from Rosario, told he was too little, became one of the greatest footballers in the world through practice and team play.
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Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream
by Deloris Jordan & Roslyn M. Jordan
Ages 4–8✈️ Import only (pricey)
Young Michael worries he's too short for basketball; his parents teach him that patience, practice and hard work matter more than height.
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Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball
by John Coy
Ages 5–9✈️ Import only (pricey)
The true story of how teacher James Naismith invented basketball to turn an unruly gym class into a team.
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Swimmy
by Leo Lionni
Ages 3–6
A small black fish teaches a school of red fish to swim together as one big fish and outsmart the hungry ones — a Caldecott Honor classic about teamwork.
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Teamwork Isn't My Thing, and I Don't Like to Share!
by Julia Cook
Ages 5–9✈️ Import only (pricey)
RJ hates group work and sharing — until his coach and his mum help him see why teamwork makes everyone better.
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Froggy Plays Soccer
by Jonathan London
Ages 3–6
Froggy's team is in the big game, and he must remember the one rule: don't touch the ball with your hands! A funny first sports story.
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Stone Soup
by Jon J Muth
Ages 4–8✈️ Import only (pricey)
Three monks show a wary village how much they can make when everyone shares a little — a Chinese-set retelling of the classic folk tale.
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The Mysterious Benedict Society
Ages 9–13
Four gifted children pass a series of strange tests and are sent undercover to a mysterious school to stop a sinister plot — a puzzle-filled celebration of teamwork and different kinds of smart.
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The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage (The Five Find-Outers)
by Enid Blyton
Ages 7–11
Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip, Bets and Buster the dog team up to find out who burned down a cottage — and outwit the village policeman.
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
by Chris Grabenstein
Ages 8–12
Twelve kids are locked overnight in the world's most amazing library and must solve its clues and riddles to find a way out.
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A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author
by Ron Roy
Ages 6–9
Dink and his friends Josh and Ruth Rose search for a famous mystery writer who never showed up for his book signing. Book one of 26.
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The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Ages 10–14
Home-loving Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest with thirteen dwarves and a wizard to win back treasure from a dragon.
