Gr. 5-8. With an open design, clear text, and lots of action photographs, this biography in the Journey to Freedom: The African American Library series tells the compelling story of the tennis champion and his politics. The facts of prejudice are here as Ashe learns tennis on segregated courts. But words and pictures show him in glorious action on the court, where he makes sports history. That he was no perfect hero adds to the drama. Although he eventually became a leading activist in the fight against apartheid, he felt guilty for not marching for civil rights, and he was attacked for playing tennis in apartheid South Africa. There are no source notes, even for direct quotes, but the book includes a detailed time line, a glossary, and a brief bibliography.
