(2) 4-6 Nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener is a descendant of Vikings. Family members sport rune tattoos and keep a weapons closet full of daggers, clubs, and armor. His older sister Brunhilde wields a mean battle-axe and says things like "by Valhalla's rafters, I am hungry"; her twin, Allyson, though more into pompoms and cheerleading, is equally strong and fierce. Many a meal in the Sheepflattener household consists of "fish hunks, fish chunks, fish lumps, and mutton." Erik, however, doesn't fit in. He's scared of everything: "School buses. Running squirrels. ­Crouching squirrels. Squirrels in trees. Squirrels under beds...Every kind of ball. Having things thrown at you. Having things yelled at you." He hides under furniture and sleeps under the bed. So when the Sheepflattener siblings are shipped off from Connecticut to Minnesota to assist Uncle Bjorn and Aunt Hilda with their new triplets, Erik dreads the trip. But Brunhilde channels her Viking spirit into ­helping Erik conquer his fears, especially his ­sciurophobia (fear of squirrels). Real progress comes when Erik joins a mountain biking team and succeeds in finishing a monster race, even if he does cross the finish line ­toting his bike. The long cycling scene will appeal to all who love well-told sports action. Once again, Uss (The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle, rev. 7/18; The Colossus of Roads, rev. 7/20) delivers a story carried by well-developed characters, plenty of dialogue, and humor.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(4) K-3 Bolt: Off Road Vehicles series. This hi-lo series highlights six popular sports vehicles, each volume providing cursory tidbits about the machine's history, characteristics, models, uses for pleasure and service, operational challenges, and safety features. Large color action photographs enhance the abbreviated texts, though many appear muddy or blurry. The books' limited content makes the series best suited to those unfamiliar with off-roading. Glos., ind. Review covers these titles: ATVs, Dirt Bikes, Dune Buggies, Jeep Wranglers, Land Rovers, and Mountain Bikes.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Adventure Sports series. In clear, engaging narratives that emphasize the dangers of adventure sports as well as the thrills, these books introduce training and equipment for each sport and discuss the challenges. The layouts can be unfocused, as text in various fonts and sizes vies with many photos, illustrations, fact sidebars, and quick "Thrill Seeker" bios. Still, adventurous kids will be inspired. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Adventure Sports titles: Canoeing and Kayaking, Caving, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, and Skiing and Snowboarding.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Adventure Outdoors series. These books highlight activities and sports for outdoorsy kids. The instructive overviews cover required skills for each activity; recommended equipment, clothing, and gear; safety suggestions; and necessary preparations and guidelines. Sidebars offer statistics and interesting real-life anecdotes. A creative mix of color photos accompany the rather awkward narratives. Quizzes help ensure readers are prepared for the activity. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Adventure Outdoors titles: Wild Biking, Wild Rock, Wild Snow, Wild Trail, Wild Underground, and Wild Water.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Adrenaline Rush series. This series for young adrenaline junkies is a flashy introduction to extreme sports. Spotty glimpses into the history, equipment, technique, and appeal of these daring and dangerous athletics highlight their excitement and underplay their risks; each book contains just one double-page section on "Staying Alive." Action-packed, eye-catching photos accompany brief text on each frenetic spread. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Adrenaline Rush titles: BMX Biking, Mountain Biking, Windsurfing & Kite Surfing, Free Running, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series. After Grandfather's dragon-bone powder is stolen, thirteen-year-old Phoenix, a top-notch mountain bike racer, learns that "Grandfather" (from Stone's previous Five Ancestors series) was actually born in 1638, and without his dragon bone, he'll die. So Phoenix jets to China to find more. Action-packed bike racing and kung fu sequences will likely distract readers from the wooden dialogue and frequent bouts of tell-rather-than-show mode.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA While geocaching in Arizona's White Mountains, fourteen-year-old Chase discovers, then befriends, two unkempt, frightened boys living at a campsite. Chase learns that their volatile father has kidnapped them; unfortunately, the teen's attempt to help goes awry. Despite pedestrian prose, the novel distinguishes itself through Chase's clever use of both modern technology and old-fashioned brainpower to get out of a dangerous situation.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 Making of a Champion series. These encompassing books explore the details, demands, and determination necessary in the making of an elite athlete. Chapters cover such topics as the sport's history, training techniques, diet and nutrition, and competitions (drug use is briefly mentioned). Photos of a variety of elite athletes--from past to present--help illustrate the text. The congested design is a drawback. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Making of a Champion titles: A World-Class Sprinter, A World-Class Judo Champion, A World-Class Mountain Biker, A World-Class Swimmer, A World-Class Marathon Runner, and A World-Class Gymnast.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Behind the Moves series. These formulaic high-interest books introduce each sport and its history, then break down basic and advanced moves, tricks, or techniques. A page of slang terms, standouts in the field, related competitions and organizations, and a chapter on safety are also included. The books are illustrated with action color photos (Wakeboarding would have benefited from a panel of time-sequenced photos). Directory, reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Behind the Moves titles: Extreme Mountain Biking Moves, Extreme Rock Climbing Moves, Extreme Freestyle Motocross Moves, and Extreme Wakeboarding Moves.]

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 Extreme Sports series. These books introduce each sport and describe equipment, safety gear, well-known participants, and basic, intermediate, and advanced moves. Short paragraphs and many captioned color photos will attract reluctant readers, but the choppy text makes differentiating the sport subdivisions difficult. Further reading, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Extreme Sports titles: Snowboarding, Inline Skating, BMX, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, and Skateboarding.]

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 Wild Rides! series. Each book in this high-interest series describes the working parts or special modifications of the vehicles, gives the rules or strategies of the vehicles' competitions, and mentions some events in which the vehicles compete or perform. The prose is pedestrian but direct enough for reluctant readers. Brief biographies profile heroes of the sport; color photos depict the vehicles in action. Reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Wild Rides! titles: Demolition Derby Cars, Go-Karts, Mountain Bikes, and Stunt Planes.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Extreme Sports series. Bold, energetic color photographs capture the excitement of these "extreme" sports. Short chapters written in a simple, accessible--if somewhat bland--style introduce the skills, equipment, and safety precautions required. Acknowledging the level of difficulty involved in these daring sports, the volumes are more surveys than "how-to" books. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(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.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta