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Book Bundles: Sports Stories
Here are three new books for younger sports fans to cheer about: a compelling history of MLB’s home run obsession, an introduction to thirty-five women athletes who used their platforms for good, and a chapter book biography of one-time “fastest woman in the world,” Florence Griffith Joyner. For more related books, click any of the subject tags below. Book Bundles are short weekly lists of recommended new books for a variety of age levels. Browse more Book Bundles in our Booklists Archive.
(3)
4-6
Spectacular Sports series.
"Baseball wasn't always centered on hitting the ball over the fence." Doeden's well-organized presentation begins by tracing the game's evolution from a focus on "methodically moving runners from base to base" to celebrating powerful, record-breaking home runs (a discussion of the steroids era is included). Other accessible chapters cover physics of the home run, "some of the most memorable long balls in major-league history," the twenty-five "most prolific home run hitters," and the home run's MLB future. Enhanced with lots of action photos, Doeden's engaging style brings the story to life. A glossary, source notes, a reading list, and an index are appended.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Sarah Green.
This collective biography introduces a diverse group of both well-known (Simone Biles, Abby Wambach, Wilma Rudolph) and less-well-known women athletes from a notably wide range of sports and other physical disciplines, including softball, swimming, cycling, wheelchair racing, football, and ballet. The three-page profiles follow the same format: full-page action illustration, a page of some "Amazing Facts and Unbelievable Stats," and a one-page overview of career highlights, personal and professional challenges, and causes championed off the field/mat/ice/etc. Readers will be inspired to learn more; two pages of selected sources are appended as is an index.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
K-3
She Persisted series.
Illustrated by
Gillian Flint.
When Joyner faced a (figurative) hurdle in life, she "remembered her mother's words: 'Move on.' And she did." One of eleven siblings, Joyner grew up in LA in a Watts housing project; from the start, the future track star and style iconoclast worked hard and focused on her Olympic dreams. Novelist Williams-Garcia's engaging text covers Joyner's career highlights as well as the obstacles she faced in becoming an Olympic champion. As with previous entries in this chapter-book biography series, short chapters are broken up by friendly black-and-white illustrations. Williams-Garcia concludes her narrative with eight "ideas to encourage your own self-expression and your personal quest to excel." An extensive list of sources is appended.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
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