This solid middle grade biography of tennis legend Billie Jean King, from the New York Times Bestselling Who Was? series, starts with the event she is perhaps best known for: the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match with Bobby Riggs. It leaves the outcome hanging as it then dives back into her childhood, her early experiences with sexism, and the start of her tennis career. We see her rise to fame, her first marriage to Larry King (not the newscaster), and her efforts to make the sport more fair for all, regardless of gender or race. The book places her efforts in the context of the women’s rights movement and the adoption of Title IX, so that when it returns to Billie Jean’s battle with Riggs, readers understand more of the social currents at work.
The book also thoughtfully describes her relationship with Marilyn Barnett, whom she fell in love with while still married to Larry King. It explains what being gay means, what homophobia is, and that Billie Jean was worried that telling people she was in love with a woman could end her career.
She retired from singles competition on her own terms, we learn, but continued playing doubles, including with Ilana Kloss. She had stopped seeing Barnett, but was still married to King, when she and Kloss fell in love. Barnett then sued Billie Jean for half of what she had earned while they were together. Billie Jean stood up for herself and for gay rights, we learn, and the court ruled that Barnett was extorting her. She and Larry divorced, though, and she lost many of her sponsors, while still remaining a top-ranked player. Later, she came out to her parents, which the book says “was the hardest thing Billie Jean had ever done.”
She retired fully from playing in 1984, but went on to coach others. She continued to garner accolades and honors and to keep working for equal rights. In 2018, she and Kloss married—and the book amusingly notes that Billie Jean wore a tracksuit.
Black-and-white illustrations throughout add interest to the story, which feels suitable for late elementary through early middle grades. It provides enough small moments and anecdotes to be engaging, while also covering the main events and significant achievements of Billie Jean’s life (at least until the time of writing; I doubt King is done yet). Sidebars explain additional topics like tennis rules and the early LGBTQ rights movement. Backmatter includes a timeline and short bibliography.
Informative and readable, this is a recommended title for both home and library shelves.
