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32 pp.
| ABDO
| January, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 1-59197-485-2$$22.78
(4)
4-6
Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes series.
These books for reluctant readers briefly cover each subject's early years before focusing on his or her athletic career. The coverage is superficial and adulatory but accessible; controversy and adversity are ignored. Action photos, a timeline, and stats help break up the text. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes titles: Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Tony Hawk, Kobe Bryant, Venus & Serena Williams, and Yao Ming.
48 pp.
| Enslow
| January, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-2138-6$$18.95
(4)
K-3
Super Sports Star series.
Six contemporary baseball stars are honored in serviceable biographies, all generously illustrated with color photos, intended for reluctant readers. The books' basic, unremarkable writing focuses primarily on key moments in the players' major-league careers. Rodriguez, currently playing for the Yankees, is pictured in his Rangers uniform; the other titles are also outdated. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Super Sports Star titles: Super Sports Star Mike Piazza, Super Sports Star Alex Rodriguez, Super Sports Star Ichiro Suzuki, Super Sports Star Barry Bonds, Super Sports Star Chipper Jones, and Super Sports Star Ken Griffey, Jr.
64 pp.
| Enslow
| March, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-2065-7$$17.95
(4)
4-6
Sports Great Books series.
These formulaic books provide adequate introductions to each athlete's professional career. The format, which includes repetitive black-and-white action shots, is dull, but the text captures game details. The adulatory books touch on controversial issues, but they tend to be glossed over. Directory, stats, websites. Ind. [Review covers these Sports Great Books titles: Sports Great Allen Iverson, Sports Great Kurt Warner, Sports Great Sammy Sosa, and Sports Great Peyton Manning.]
64 pp.
| Chelsea
| January, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-6474-3$$19.75
(4)
4-6
Latinos in the Limelight series.
Three books in this series feature two baseball players originally from the Dominican Republic and Latino-American Gomez, a hockey player. Quotes from the athletes and their acquaintances abound with little in the way of citations, but the texts are lively enough for the sports fans who will be attracted. Some of the color photos look washed out. A chronology and list of accomplishments are included. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Scott Gomez.]
64 pp.
| Chelsea
| January, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-6480-8$$19.75
(4)
4-6
Latinos in the Limelight series.
Three books in this series feature two baseball players originally from the Dominican Republic and Latino-American Gomez, a hockey player. Quotes from the athletes and their acquaintances abound with little in the way of citations, but the texts are lively enough for the sports fans who will be attracted. Some of the color photos look washed out. A chronology and list of accomplishments are included. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Scott Gomez.]
64 pp.
| Enslow
| June, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-1845-8$$17.95
(4)
4-6
Sports Great Books series.
The formulaic, adulatory books in this series adequately profile a superstar athlete, briefly covering the subject's childhood and college (or early) career before focusing on professional success. The text features lots of important game (or race) highlights and is accompanied by repetitive black-and-white action shots. Fans and report writers will be satisfied. A chart of career stats is appended. Ind. [Review covers these titles: Sports Great Alex Rodriguez, Sports Great Jeff Gordon, Sports Great Vince Carter, Sports Great Tim Duncan.]
149 pp.
| Knopf
| April, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-375-80215-0$$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-375-90215-5$$17.99
(3)
4-6
When Miguel's Spanish-speaking Dominican aunt comes to visit his newly divorced mother in their new home in Vermont, her colorful ways at first embarrass him, then eventually endear her to him. What the story lacks in a clear central conflict, it makes up for with vivid characterization and evocative imagery. Dominican Spanish words flavor the narrative like so many of TÃa Lola's spices.
(4)
K-3
Dorling Kindersley Readers series.
Three serviceable titles about baseball's biggest contemporary stars will appeal to fans and reluctant readers. Because they focus primarily on active players, the books are already outdated (e.g., Shortstops precedes A-Rod's recent trade and history-making contract). Generous color photos and drawings enhance every page. Home Run Heroes is written at an easier level than the other series titles. Glos., ind.
(4)
K-3
Dorling Kindersley Readers series.
This entry follows the series format, with each double-page spread devoted to an aspect of baseball and illustrated with copious photographs and drawings. Most aspects of the game are afforded a surprisingly high level of detail, with attention paid to related topics such as softball, Little League, and the game's growing international presence. Glos., ind.
64 pp.
| Mitchell
| February, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 1-58415-010-6$$18.95
(4)
4-6
Latinos in Baseball series.
These serviceable profiles mix baseball achievements with biographical detail and discuss each player's ties to Latino culture. Among the subjects covered are adapting to life in the United States, learning English, and getting along with fans. The series' design, which includes stock black-and-white photos of uneven quality, is rather dull, but fans probably won't mind. Each book contains a list of stats and a chronology. Ind.
(1)
4-6
When Napoleon Ellis arrives from Dominica at Richard's parochial school, Richard dreams of their becoming the next Gold Dust Twins of the 1975 Red Sox. Self-assured Richard can't imagine anyone who wouldn't want the same, but Napoleon complicates things. Set against the backdrop of the 1970s' Boston busing crisis, this provocative novel tells a piece of the city's history and the more intimate story of a transforming friendship.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2000
64 pp.
| LernerSports
| May, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-8225-3681-1$$21.27
|
PaperISBN 0-8225-9861-2$$5.95
(3)
4-6
Translated by Julia Cisneros Fitzpatrick.
This biography of Sosa, from his shining shoes in Santo Domingo to baseball stardom, discusses his sports career and his personal life, culminating in the home run duel with Mark McGwire and his humanitarian initiatives in his native country. Illustrated with color photos, the text is generally well translated. Stats are appended. Also available in English. Glos., ind.
64 pp.
| LernerSports
| May, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-8225-3678-1$$21.27
|
PaperISBN 0-8225-9858-2$$5.95
(3)
4-6
This well-written biography of Sosa, from his shoe shining in Santo Domingo to baseball stardom, discusses his sports career and his personal life, culminating in the home run duel with Mark McGwire and Sosa's humanitarian initiatives in his native country. The book includes color photos and statistics. Also available in Spanish. Glos., ind.
64 pp.
| Mitchell
| March, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 1-883845-85-8$$18.95
(3)
4-6
Latinos in Baseball series.
Illustrated with black-and-white photos, each book in this well-written series describes play action that highlights the player's baseball career, then discusses his childhood and development as a professional player. The mistakes each star has made are confronted directly (such as Alomar's infamous spitting at an umpire), and the resulting portraits of the players provide informative, balanced looks at each. Ind.
64 pp.
| Mitchell
| March, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 1-883845-92-0$$18.95
(3)
4-6
Latinos in Baseball series.
Illustrated with black-and-white photos, each book in this well-written series describes play action that highlights the player's baseball career, then discusses his childhood and development as a professional player. The mistakes each star has made are confronted directly (such as Alomar's infamous spitting at an umpire), and the resulting portraits of the players provide informative, balanced looks at each. Ind.
64 pp.
| Mitchell
| March, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 1-883845-86-6$$18.95
(3)
4-6
Latinos in Baseball series.
Illustrated with black-and-white photos, each book in this well-written series describes play action that highlights the player's baseball career, then discusses his childhood and development as a professional player. The mistakes each star has made are confronted directly (such as Alomar's infamous spitting at an umpire), and the resulting portraits of the players provide informative, balanced looks at each. Ind.
(4)
4-6
New Wave series.
Profiling young athletes who have risen quickly in their sports, these biographies of three admirable young men discuss how each one overcame adversity in childhood to reach the pinnacle of his career: Rodriguez in baseball, Davis in football, and Duncan in basketball. The photographs aren't always engaging, but the texts offer much to interest fans. Ind.
64 pp.
| Lerner/Millbrook
| April, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-7613-1559-4$$22.90
|
PaperISBN 0-7613-1045-2$$6.95
(3)
4-6
Both the professional and personal lives of superstars McGwire and Sosa are effectively portrayed in Stewart's text. Especially interesting to young readers will be the ways each player coped with the pressures of constant public scrutiny and their own high expectations of breaking Roger Maris's home run record. Sports action photos supplement the informative text. Ind.
40 pp.
| Taylor
| June, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-87833-997-3$$14.95
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Doug Keith.
Published spring 1998. Emphasizing the values they learned as children and relied on to become successful, Seattle Mariners shortstop Rodriguez and New England Patriots quarterback Bledsoe offer advice to readers. Color photographs accompany the mixture of good advice and biographical detail, but the poorly designed books also include amateurish drawings.
(3)
4-6
Three biographies present contemporary stars in the worlds of hockey, baseball, basketball. The texts provide brief, laudatory looks at the amateur and professional careers of the respected athletes. A variety of crisp color photographs scan from childhood to the present. Glos., ind.