Brooklyn Castle

Gr 6 Up—Championship teams from inner-city schools typically utilize a ball of some type. Not so in the case of this perennial powerhouse squad—they employ chess pieces. The Brooklyn junior high program warmly profiled here has produced more national title holders than any other school in the nation, despite the many challenges faced by the community and team members. Cameras and interviewers follow these young people as they cope with numerous obstacles—including the lack of funding for their activity as the district tightens the purse strings. A variety of family situations are portrayed to help establish the concept that success can be nurtured in many environments. Young viewers, especially non-athletes, will enjoy the manner in which the chess team members receive accolades and admiration from their peers. While the more obvious theme of this nicely paced but slightly too lengthy program is to share in the hard-won success of a group of students taking part in an unlikely "sport," there is also the recurrent idea that the qualities developed as a member of the chess team bring successes in all aspects of life. The presentation includes a chapter selection option (in this case, 24 of them) and an extras track that provides more detailed character sketches of the team members. There is also a useful discussion/curriculum guide, two publications for those interested in establishing a chess club at school, and a brief guide to further resources. Those serving at-risk youth will find this a valuable and popular resource.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL