Books like Swoosh by J. B. Strasser

Christopher, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome, discovers that his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and sets out to solve the mystery with his unique analytical skills.

A humorous middle‑grade graphic tale in which a police dog and his human partner merge into the wacky, crime‑fighting hero Dog Man, sparking silly adventures and capers across the city.

When ten‑year‑old Opal arrives in Naomi, Florida, she discovers friendship, community, and the healing power of a big ugly dog named Winn‑Dixie during her first summer in town.

Taggish the famed canine hero of Jack London’s classic adventure, The Call of the Wild, is uprooted from a comfortable home in California and forced into brutal sled work in the Yukon, where he must confront survival, the call of wilderness, and the pull of his wolf ancestry.

Phil Knight, founder of Nike, recounts the early years of the company—from importing shoes from Japan to building a global brand—sharing the challenges, partnerships and personal moments that fueled its rise.

A Dog's Purpose follows a beloved dog through four reincarnated lives, exploring love, family, and the search for meaning in each life.

A devoted dog reflects on life, love, and racing while watching his owner, a race car driver, navigate family trials and professional ambition.

A true‑story chronicle of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight‑oar crew, whose perseverance and teamwork led them to Olympic gold amid the Great Depression and the rise of Nazi Germany.

A young Florida boy in the early 20th century bonds with an orphaned fawn named Flag. Their friendship endures storms and wild beasts, while their family's rough life on a small farm tests resilience and hope.

An inside look at a single season of the Portland Trail Blazers, revealing the dynamics of stars, salaries, media, fans, ethics, drugs, and racial tension in professional basketball.

A moving verse‑novel about Jack, a shy young boy who discovers the power of poetry and learning to voice his feelings through his conversation with his dog.

Scorecasting applies behavioral economics to challenge sports myths, revealing how home advantage, umpire bias, and decision‑making shape games from baseball to the golf green.

This book "is the quintessential story of the American family: how Vince Lombardi, the son of an immigrant Italian butcher, rose to the top, and how his character and will to prevail transformed him, his wife, his children, his players, his sport, and ultimately the entire country. It is also a vibrant football story as well as a study of national myths and an absorbing account of mythmakers"--Dust jacket.

In 1860s Texas hill country, a boy recounts the trials of a mischievous yellow dog who becomes part of his family's ranch life.

The story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wriggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women's undergarments. Obedience school did no good--Marley was expelled. And yet his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. A dog like no other, Marley remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Traces the fierce rivalry between brothers Adi and Rudi Dassler, who launched a successful shoe business from their mother's laundry room in Germany before a bitter feud prompted their separation and launch of competitors Adidas and Puma.