Books in Amazing Athletes series

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps more than met the world's expectations at the 2008 Olympic Games. He already had eight medals - two bronze and six gold - from the 2004 Olympics. He left Beijing with a history-making eight more golds - one for every race he entered. His fourteen golds are the record number for any Olympian - ever. In addition, he set seven world records at the Games. Follow this hard-working swimmer from his days as a talented seven-year-old through his amazing performance in Beijing.

Standing five feet eight inches tall, Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is smaller than most Major League Baseball (MLB) players. But his size hasn't held him back. Dustin won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year award in 2007. He followed that by winning the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2008. Even better, Dustin helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and 2013. Read all about the life of one of baseball's most unlikely stars.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams won the Wimbledon singles title in 2015. It was her fourth Grand Slam tournament victory in a row, a feat she had also reached earlier in her career. Fans called it the Serena Slam. She had begun her tennis career in the shadow of her older sister Venus. But after completing the Serena Slam for the second time, Serena no longer stood in anyone's shadow. Learn all about one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard makes blocking streaking soccer balls look easy. But soccer is more than a game for Tim. When he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome as a child, Tim turned to soccer. He could focus on the game and not worry about anything else. He was focused on soccer at the 2014 World Cup. Tim's incredible 16 saves for the United States against Belgium set a world record for most saves in a single match. Read all about the life of one of the world's best goalkeepers.

Chosen first overall in the 2008 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, Derrick Rose is one of the most explosive players in basketball. He learned the game from his older brothers while growing up in a tough neighborhood in Chicago. After one year at the University of Memphis, Derrick brought his high-flying game to the Chicago Bulls. Learn all about Chicago's biggest sports star and his dream of bringing the NBA championship to his hometown.

NBA scouts nearly overlooked point guard Stephen Curry. Most NBA stars come from well-known schools, but not Stephen. He played for Davidson College in North Carolina, where he set the all-time scoring record for his university and his conference. In 2007-2008, he set the all-time college record for most three-point shots made in a season. Stephen was the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft, chosen by the Golden State Warriors. He has racked up impressive stats ever since and led his team to the best record in the NBA midway through the 2014-2015 season.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected center Anthony Davis as the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Since then, Anthony has proven to be one of the best big men in the game. Midway through the 2014-2015 season, he was averaging more than 24 points and 10 rebounds per game, and he also led the league in blocked shots per game for the second straight year. Voted to the NBA All-Star Game as a starter for the first time in 2015, he is on top of the basketball world. Follow Anthony's journey from his childhood in Chicago all the way to the NBA.

John Wall's NBA dream came true when he was chosen by the Washington Wizards as the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Coming in, John knew the Wizards had a losing record. Despite John's best efforts, they still struggled to win games for a few years. But by 2014-2015, the Wizards were finally a winning team, and John had become one of the best point guards in the game. Read about John's journey from his childhood in North Carolina to NBA stardom.

Kevin Durant faced high expectations after he was selected with the second pick in the 2007 NBA draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder forward has gone beyond those expectations. Kevin was named the 2007-2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he’s only gotten better from there. In 2010 Kevin was named the Most Valuable Player at the FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, where the United States won the gold medal. During his short time in pro basketball, Kevin has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world. Learn more about this amazing athlete’s journey to the top.

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was in high school, his coaches thought he was too skinny to play in college. At the University of Nevada, his coaches thought he ran with the ball too often and he would be prone to injury in the National Football League (NFL). But Colin led the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl. In 2014, he and his teammates were just one win away from playing in the big game again. Learn more about one of the biggest stars in the NFL.