700s: From Street to Stadium: Series Nonfiction on Sports
RSSReviewed by Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA -- School Library Journal, 04/01/2009
Several of this season’s sports series are inventive offerings that emphasize a unique angle to a sport or an athlete, rather than the standard how-to-play-the-game approach. Bright photographs and colorful pages enhance narrative texts that discuss various topics from the latest in sports technologies to the off-the-field lives of well-known heroes.
BECKER, Helaine. Skateboarding Science. diags. ISBN 978-0-7787-4536-5; ISBN 978-0-7787-4553-2. LC 2008048869.
BOUDREAU, Hélène. Swimming Science. diag. ISBN 978-0-7787-4538-9; ISBN 978-0-7787-4555-6. LC 2008048870.
BOW, James. Baseball Science. diags. ISBN 978-0-7787-4534-1; ISBN 978-0-7787-4551-8. LC 2008046274.
––––. Cycling Science. diags. ISBN 978-0-7787-4535-8; ISBN 978-0-7787-4552-5. LC 2008046275.
BOW, Patricia. Tennis Science. diags. ISBN 978-0-7787-4539-6; ISBN 978-0-7787-4556-3. LC 2008048874.
HYDE, Natalie. Soccer Science. diag. ISBN 978-0-7787-4537-2; ISBN 978-0-7787-4554-9. LC 2008046276.
ea vol: 32p. (Sports Science Series). illus. photos. reprods. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Crabtree. 2009. PLB $20.22; pap. $8.95.
Gr 3-5–These books approach each sport from a scientific angle, describing some of the physics behind each pursuit and how athletes can use this knowledge to improve performance. Some scientific principles are mentioned in multiple volumes, so that readers can compare how these factors affect different sports. The problem of “drag,” for example, is discussed in Swimming, Tennis, and Cycling. Fascinating facts, from a discussion of the swimmer who covered 3,270 miles down the Amazon River to information about the soccer robots in the RoboCup, are presented in a captivating, lively manner. Specialized terms, provided in “New Words” boxes on each spread, step the content up a notch for the older readers in the grade range. The layout features colorful text boxes interspersed among photographs, resembling Web pages, yet the font is clean, with ample spacing between lines. Both genders are shown participating in the various activities. Unusual in focus, this series will be a welcome addition.
FRISCH, Aaron. Atlanta Braves. ISBN 978-1-58341-687-7. LC 2007052463.
––––. Baltimore Orioles. ISBN 978-1-58341-692-1. LC 2008003764.
––––. Boston Red Sox. ISBN 978-1-58341-694-5. LC 2008003765.
––––. Chicago White Sox. ISBN 978-1-58341-696-9. LC 2008003768.
––––. Florida Marlins. ISBN 978-1-58341-691-4. LC 2008003765.
––––. Los Angeles Dodgers. ISBN 978-1-58341-689-1. LC 2007052468.
––––. Minnesota Twins. ISBN 978-1-58341-695-2. LC 2008003767.
––––. New York Yankees. ISBN 978-1-58341-697-6. LC 2008003769.
––––. Philadelphia Phillies. ISBN 978-1-58341-693-8. LC 2008003766.
––––. St. Louis Cardinals. ISBN 978-1-58341-688-4. LC 2007052465.
––––. San Francisco Giants. ISBN 978-1-58341-690-7. LC 2007052469.
––––. Toronto Blue Jays. ISBN 978-1-58341-686-0. LC 2007052462.
ea vol: 24p. (World Series Champions Series). photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. Creative Education. 2009. Tr $24.25.
Gr 2-3–Names of baseball greats on various teams are mentioned, along with the plays that helped them to excel. At times the writing is overly simplistic, and grammatical errors and unclear sentences cause confusion (“The Braves won the World Series. But they became a bad team after that”). Colorful photographs are plentiful at the expense of ample text. Almost every book has a center spread that has been enlarged excessively and that doesn’t add to the volume. Some of these photo selections, such as the one in Dodgers, are grainy and indistinct. Students might find a favorite team here, but there’s not much substance.
CASIL, Amy Sterling. Tony Hawk: Skateboard Mogul. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4358-5047-7; ISBN 978-1-4358-5391-1. LC 2008014952.
CEFREY, Holly. Competitive Skateboarding. ISBN 978-1-4358-5050-7; ISBN 978-1-4358-5394-2. LC 2008014949.
COBB, Allan B. Skating the X Games. ISBN 978-1-4358-5048-4; ISBN 978-1-4358-5392-8. LC 2008017738.
HASAN, Heather. Skateboarding Today and Tomorrow. ISBN 978-1-4358-5049-1; ISBN 978-1-4358-5393-5. LC 2008018023.
HOCKING, Justin. The World’s Greatest Skate Parks. ISBN 978-1-4358-5046-0; ISBN 978-1-4358-5390-4. LC 2008018163.
KNUTSON, Jeffrey. The Business of Skateboarding: From Board to Boardroom. ISBN 978-1-4358-5051-4; ISBN 978-1-4358-5395-9. LC 2008017842.
ea vol: 48p. (Super Skateboarding Series). photos. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Rosen. 2009. PLB $26.50; pap. $11.50.
Gr 5-7–This comprehensive examination of the sport offers a wide range of information, from biographies of stars to details about popular competitions and parks. Readers can practice the stunts and flip tricks that are described, as well as learn about possible future trends. Many detailed and captioned color photographs portray action sequences that express the drama of the stunts. All photos show skaters wearing protective equipment while performing tricks. Fans will relish the thorough coverage of this topic whether they use the book that is best for reports (Business of Skateboarding), the one that is purely for entertainment value (Competitive Skateboarding), or the other titles, which will work well for both purposes.
ECK, Ed. Baseball in the American League West Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5041-5. LC 2008025408.
––––. Baseball in the National League Central Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5045-3. LC 2008026339.
––––. Baseball in the National League West Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5044-6. LC 2008022265.
MONTEVERDE, Matt. Baseball in the American League East Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5040-8. LC 2008019929.
PORTERFIELD, Jason. Baseball in the American League Central Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5042-2. LC 2008022085.
––––. Baseball in the National League East Division. ISBN 978-1-4358-5043-9. LC 2008022284.
ea vol: 48p. (Inside Major League Baseball Series). chart. map. photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Rosen. 2009. PLB $26.50.
Gr 5-7–These authors take slightly different approaches to these topics. Eck covers the history of the division, its players, and memorable games or traditions. Monteverde uses a time line to cover the same material, while Porterfield adds information about managers as a highlight. Devoted fans craving details about a favored team or division will enjoy these works either way. Charts and colorful photos complement the lively narration. Detailed enough to use for reports.
SANDLER, Michael. Ben Roethlisberger. ISBN 978-1-59716-770-3. LC 2008042446. ––––. Brett Favre. ISBN 978-1-59716-771-0. LC 2008031176.
––––. Brian Urlacher. map. ISBN 978-1-59716-775-8. LC 2008034878.
––––. Donovan McNabb. ISBN 978-1-59716-772-7. LC 2008040262.
––––. LaDainian Tomlinson. ISBN 978-1-59716-774-1. LC 2008032806.
––––. Matt Hasselbeck. map. ISBN 978-1-59716-773-4. LC 2008041110.
ea vol: 24p. (Football Heroes Making a Difference Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Bearport. 2009. PLB $22.61.
Gr 2-4–These athletes make a difference in other people’s lives through volunteering. Whether it is through an organization that contributes to various charities, such as the Matt Hasselbeck Foundation, or a with a single body such as the Special Olympics, which Urlacher supports, each sports hero contributes to the community during his time off the field. Colorful photographs show not only football action shots, but also portray the player both as a youth and as an adult volunteering. Even though the information is spare, libraries needing updated football biographies for this age group will welcome this new slant. The biographies of two quarterbacks of the recent Superbowl playoffs–McNabb and Roethlisberger–will be particularly popular.
The three series offering an original approach are “Sports Science,” “Super Skateboarding,” and “Football Heroes Making a Difference.” “Inside Major League Baseball” provides information already on library shelves, and “World Series Champions” is a marginal choice.
