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(4)
K-3
Spot Sports series.
Each slim easy reader opens with a photo glossary highlighting four sport-specific vocabulary words, accompanied by instructions: "Look for these words and pictures as you read." The following spreads are organized around these keywords, with bright stock photos and a smattering of facts. The volumes are light on substance but effectively reinforce the meaning of a small number of relevant terms.
(4)
4-6
Make Me the Best Athlete series.
Each of five or six brief chapters (e.g., "Sprint like Usain Bolt" in Track) in these slim volumes focuses on a different outstanding athlete in a particular sport, and provides a few tidbits about his or her skills. Bulleted fact boxes explicate techniques; a "Drill Down!" feature suggests ways readers can improve their own performance, but some necessary supervision isn't suggested. Color photographs appear throughout. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Make Me the Best Athlete titles: Make Me the Best Volleyball Player, Make Me the Best Basketball Player, Make Me the Best Baseball Player, Make Me the Best Hockey Player, Make Me the Best Soccer Player, Make Me the Best Football Player, Make Me the Best Lacrosse Player, and Make Me the Best at Track and Field.
(4)
4-6
Jake Maddox JV Girls series.
Figure skating, gymnastics, volleyball, and softball action (and stereotypical girl-drama) dominate these message-driven short novels about middle-school girls who learn lessons concerning the importance of doing the right thing for your friends and yourself while seeking the glory of winning. The easy-to-read, engaging hi-lo books also include discussion questions, writing prompts, and interesting facts about each sport. Glos. Review covers these Jake Maddox JV Girls titles: Aerials and Envy, Back Row Dynamo, Catching Confidence, and Spinning Away.
(4)
4-6
Total Sports series.
These volumes provide broad overviews of the histories, notable teams and coaches, rivalries, star players, etc., of the title sports; most (not Football) include mention of both men's and women's teams. The texts are easy to read if occasionally vague or overgeneralized. Informative sidebars and copious stock photos enhance the presentations for sports fans. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Total Sports titles: Total Lacrosse, Total Basketball, Total Baseball, Total Hockey, Total Soccer, Total Gymnastics, Total Volleyball, and Total Football.
(3)
K-3
Making the Play series.
Linking science to sports, each volume makes physics concepts accessible to elementary-age readers. Eye-catching visuals and simple texts explain how concepts such as force, mass, and inertia affect performance in these sports. Each book includes a final hands-on activity (not sports-related) to test the concepts (e.g., in Football, using a garden hose to test projectile motion). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Making the Play titles: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Golf, Soccer, and Volleyball.
(4)
4-6
Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories series.
Illustrated by
Katie Wood.
Text by Leigh McDonald. These sports-themed stories highlight important skills necessary for team activities, specifically self-confidence (Pool) and teamwork (Volleyball). Fast pacing keeps the predictable plots focused and easy to follow; black-and-white digital illustrations reflect reality with diverse characters. Appropriate for discussions about character building and social skills. Discussion questions, writing prompts, and facts about the sports are appended. Glos. Review covers these Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories titles: Pool Panic and Volleyball Victory.
32 pp.
| Amicus High Interest
| September, 2015
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-60753-811-0$19.95
|
PaperISBN 978-1-68152-052-0$9.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-60753-900-1
(3)
K-3
Summer Olympic Sports series.
"The action. The drama. The glory." This series introduces popular sports included in the summer Olympics. Each volume traces the sport's history through a worldwide lens and discusses the technical aspects of the game or individual events within the sport. With attention-grabbing prose, high-interest subject matter, and captivating action shots, the series should be attractive to budding athletes. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Summer Olympic Sports titles: Combat Sports, Track and Field, Volleyball, Basketball, Gymnastics, and Swimming and Diving.
24 pp.
| ABDO
| January, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-60453-772-7$19.93
(4)
K-3
SandCastle: Team Sports by the Numbers series.
In this unremarkable math-meets-sports series, each book's introduction shows how numbers are related to the title sport: e.g., "A basketball hoop is 10 feet (3 m) high." Basic facts and diagrams of the field, court, or rink are followed by "Offense" and "Defense" spreads in which stock photographs appear alongside brief, choppy sentences and very simple word problems. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Team Sports by the Numbers titles: Ice Hockey by the Numbers, Soccer by the Numbers, Volleyball by the Numbers, Baseball by the Numbers, Basketball by the Numbers, and Football by the Numbers.
64 pp.
| Norwood
| July, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-59953-392-6$26.60
(3)
4-6
Girls Play to Win series.
This series brings home the great strides that female athletics has taken over the years. The history of the title sport and its rules are discussed, along with famous figures. With an easy design and format, the texts are highly accessible to even the most reluctant of readers and provide great exposure and insight into the world of female professional sports. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Reviews covers these Girls Play to Win titles: Girls Play to Win Skiing and Snowboarding, Girls Play to Win Figure Skating, Girls Play to Win Volleyball, Girls Play to Win Hockey, and Girls Play to Win Basketball.
355 pp.
| Viking
| April, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-06298-0$16.99
(3)
YA
First-person free verse poems give Anke's outlook on a violent home. Anke's father abuses her mother and siblings, leaving Anke to observe while she wrestles with her passivity. Her position on the high school volleyball team helps Anke learn to approach life actively. Chaltas presents an honest account of how abuse affects those around the abuser and his victims.
64 pp.
| Chelsea
| December, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-6531-6$$19.75
(4)
4-6
Women Who Win series.
Each book in this generally adulatory series on female sports stars traces an athlete's career from childhood to the present. The texts touch on the stars' backgrounds and struggles to overcome obstacles but focus mainly on descriptions of important competitions. Color action photos lack variety, but a statistics list and chronology in each book will please fans. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Gabrielle Reece, Anna Kournikova, Marion Jones, Laila Ali, Dorothy "Dot" Richardson, Lindsay Davenport.]
64 pp.
| Chelsea
| November, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-5869-7$$16.95
(4)
4-6
Composite Guide series.
Each volume begins with a chapter focused on a specific athlete or a dramatic sporting event, followed by the history of that sport, the accomplishments of notable figures in the field, and scattershot information on official rules and regulations. These serviceable introductions are illustrated with unexceptional black-and-white photos. All have chronologies, and all but Extreme Sports and Strongman Competition have glossaries. Bib., ind.
147 pp.
| Little
| April, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-316-13451-1$$15.95
|
PaperISBN 0-316-13401-5$$3.95
(4)
4-6
In Mountain Bike Mania, Will fights afterschool loneliness and TV addiction by joining his middle school mountain biking club. Spike It! concerns Jamie's resentment when her new stepsister joins her volleyball team. Kids will appreciate reading about two sports not generally explored in fiction. The prose has contemporary references and language; the tried-and-true Christopher style stressing sportsmanship and family values remains heavy-handed.
(4)
4-6
Three new entries in the series, spotlighting stars of volleyball, football, and basketball, join a revision of a previous volume on Wayne Gretzky. The books strike a good balance between personal and professional information, though the coverage is never very deep. Gretzky is illustrated with black-and-white photos; the other books are chiefly illustrated in color. A section of sports stats concludes each volume. Glos., ind.