Larry Bird, The Boy From French Lick

By Francine Poppo Rich
Illustrations by Robert Casilla
(Ages 7+)
Hardcover: 32 pages
Web Price: $17.95
ISBN13: 978-0-9792918-3-6

Softcover: 32 pages
Web Price: $8.99
ISBN13: 978-0-9792918-9-0

Larry Bird is one of the most accomplished basketball players in American History, but he doesn’t hold any big secrets to the game or any super human talent. His keys to his success have always been practice, persistence, and a belief in himself. Most books about famous athletes focus on the career of the person as a professional athlete. This story focuses only on Larry Bird’s life BEFORE he became the star of the Boston Celtics. This is the story of his childhood.

Meticulously researched, Francine Poppo Rich crafts the important details of Larry Bird’s early life into a powerful, true story of one boy’s determination to play the best game of basketball he could play. From the age of thirteen, Larry Bird possessed a single-minded approach to his game: practice the basics. Rich weaves the words of Larry Bird’s childhood experiences in such a way that even the youngest basketball player will be inspired to play with a passion.

Award-winning illustrator, Robert Casilla, has painted the characters of Larry Bird’s world with stunning accuracy. Casilla’s portrayal of French Lick, Indiana and the people who influenced Bird in the 1970s provide an unforgettable portrait of a boy growing up in a place that he will always call home.