Colorado University Athletics
Read With The Buffs
Read with the Buffs
The University of Colorado Athletic Department along with Scheels is promoting the importance of reading and is proud to present Read with the Buffs; a reading incentive program geared toward 2nd-4th grade students. As part of the program, CU student-athlete(s) make a visit to each participating school for a classroom visit. Those elementary school students that complete the program are invited to celebrate their achievements at a CU game!
For more information and to sign up your class please contact Rachel Ripken at 303-492-1976 or rachel.ripken@colorado.edu.
Virtual Read with the Buffs
During this time of remote learning, the University of Colorado Athletic Department is proud to present our virtual Read with the Buffs program video series geared towards elementary school students.
Below you will find videos of our favorite Read with the Buffs books read by CU Athletes. Along with the videos you will find comprehension questions about each book.
It’s Raining Bats and Frogs - A little witch named Delia has been looking forward all year to flying in the annual Witch Parade. When the rumors of rain come true and the other witches start complaining, Delia takes action. Using her best magic, Delia changes the rain to cats and dogs. At first this goes over quite well, but she quickly realizes the animals cause a few issues. She must change the rain again! This time to hats and clogs. And finally, she tries bats and frogs. But each new type of rain brings its own set of problems. How will Delia save the day? https://youtu.be/2r5-M7RnhJ8
Room on the Broom - The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon? - https://youtu.be/I5r9F0Dbcj0
Book One: Miss Mary Reporting
Our first book is the true story of sportswriter Mary Garber called Miss Mary Reporting.
Book description:
From beloved author Sue Macy comes an illustrated biography of Mary Garber, one of the first female sports journalists in American history!
While sitting in the bleachers of a Soap Box Derby in the 1950s, Mary Garber overheard two African-American boys in the following exchange: “See that lady down there?” asked one boy. “That’s Mary Garber. She doesn’t care who you are, but if you do something good, she’ll write about you.”
Mary Garber was a pioneering sports journalist in a time where women were rarely a part of the newspaper business. Women weren’t even allowed to sit in the press boxes at sporting events, so Mary was forced to sit with the coaches’ wives. But that didn’t stop her.
In a time when African-American sports were not routinely covered, Mary went to the games and wrote about them. Garber was a sportswriter for fifty-six years and was the first woman to receive the Associated Press Sports Editors’ Red Smith Award, presented for major contributions in sports journalism. And now, every year the Association of Women in Sports Media presents the Mary Garber Pioneer Award in her honor to a role model for women in sports media.
Sure to inspire future journalists, athletes, and any child who has a dream, this illustrated biography of Mary Garber captures her feisty and determined spirit and brings her story to life.
Book Two: Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold
Our second book is written by Michael Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan, called Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold.
Book description:
Olympic dreams come true in this inspiring picture book from Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, author of the New York Times bestselling Salt in His Shoes.
Long before he became a professional All-Star basketball player, Michael Jordan had dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal—and with dedication and perseverance, that’s exactly what he did. This heartwarming picture book, written by Michael’s mother and illustrated by Barry Root, gives a rare glimpse into a sports hero’s childhood and emphasizes the role that good values play in success. An ideal companion to the New York Times bestselling Salt in His Shoes, this is an inspirational story for sports fans, go-getters, and anyone with big dreams!
Book Three: Michael's Golden Rules
Our third book is written by Deloris and Roslyn M. Jordan, the mother and sister of Michael Jordan, and it's called Michael's Golden Rules.
Book description:
Jonathan wants to win more than anything. But the Badgers haven't seen much of that lately. For Jonathan, the only good thing about the baseball season is being on the same team as his best friend, Michael. Jonathan wants to believe in himself and his team, but it's getting harder to do.
Then when Michael's uncle Jack tells the boys about his golden rules of baseball, Jonathan is confused. What could Uncle Jack mean -- there is more to a good game than winning or losing?
Deloris and Roslyn M. Jordan, mother and sister of basketball superstar Michael Jordan, tell a family story of personal best, friendship, and teamwork that will inspire. Kadir Nelson's radiant illustrations illuminate this story of what it really means to be a champion.
Book Four: Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman
Our fourth book is written by Kathleen Krull and it's called Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman.
Book description:
Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run--all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single Olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings by Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Diaz.
Book Five: Rosie Revere Engineer
Our fifth book is written by Andrea Beaty and it's called Rosie Revere Engineer.
Book description:
The beloved New York Times bestselling picture book about pursuing one’s passion with persistence and learning to celebrate each failure on the road to achieving one’s dreams.
Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them.
Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail, if you quit.
Book Six: By My Brother's Side
Our sixth book is written by NFL players Tiki and Ronde Barber, illustrated by Barry Root, and titled By My Brother's Side.
Book description:
Tiki and Ronde were each other's best friends. Together from the start, these twins might not have been the strongest or the tallest, but they were fast and worked hard at what they loved. And they loved sports, especially football.
Then one day Tiki badly hurt his knee in a biking accident, and he was sure he'd never be able to play again. Their mother had always told them, "You are each other's best friends. Stick together, believe in yourselves, and you can do anything." They kept her words in their hearts and never gave up.
Based on the childhood of National Football League superstars Ronde and Tiki Barber, this inspiring book about the values of family, hard work, and determination is the story of what it takes to be a champion.
Book Seven: Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion
Our seventh book is written by Heather Lang and titled Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion.
Book description:
Here is a story of perseverance and unwavering ambition that follows Alice Coachman on her journey from rural Georgia, where she overcame adversity both as a woman and as a black athlete, to her triumph in Wembly Stadium in the 1948 London Olympics.
When Alice Coachman was a girl, most white people wouldn't even shake her hand. Yet when the King of England placed an Olympic medal around her neck, he extended his hand to Alice in congratulations. Standing on a podium in London's Wembley Stadium, Alice was a long way from the fields of Georgia where she ran barefoot as a child. With a record-breaking leap, she had become the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. This inspirational picture book is perfect to celebrate Women's History Month or to share any day of the year.