|
This column appeared in January 2000, in volume 3 of Reading Online. In that volume year, the journal featured a Reviews section, where reviews of children's literature, professional materials, and software were featured. All reviews are still available in the journal and can be reached by way of the preceding links, or through the search and indexing features.
|
Books about “Good Sports”
A Book Review Column
Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
George Font
Don Tauferner
Guest Reviewers
Editor's Note: Sports often play an important role in the lives of young people. The 14 books reviewed in this column include realistic fiction and informational text featuring basketball, football, hiking, hockey, fishing, softball, and the martial arts. The informational texts serve up various types of information -- some offer the history of a particular sport, while others provide readers with the rules of a game or suggestions for improving performance through practice and mastering better techniques. Realistic fiction selections delve into the role that sports can play in helping young people to learn about such critically important things as integrity, self-esteem, and fair play. With this range of content and genres, you are sure to find books here that will appeal to your students.
The books reviewed are as follows:
Where possible, links to authors' and publishers' websites are provided. Clicking on any of these links will open a new browser window.
Black Hoops, the History of African Americans in Basketball. Written by Fredrick McKissack, Jr. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-48712-4 (hardcover). 176 pages. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Fredrick McKissack, Jr., traces basketball from its beginnings, when peach baskets were used for games played at the YMCA, to the men's and women's “Dream Teams” that won Olympic gold medals for the United States in the 1980s. McKissack relates the game's history from the perspective of the black experience, spotlighting those who developed and shaped the game from the days after the Civil War to modern times. Key early figures include Dr. James Naismith, the “father of basketball,” Edwin B. Henderson, an African American basketball pioneer, and Abe Saperstein, who organized the Harlem Globetrotters; modern-day basketball stars, such as Dr. J, Magic, Jordan, and Shaq, are also highlighted. In this sport, racial segregation often took a back seat to creating the strongest possible teams. The author notes that integration of black players into white colleges as stars on the basketball court was acceptable in the name of building a winning team. Integration in the National Basketball Association was promoted through the Harlem Globetrotters, one of history's best teams: readers may be surprised to learn which big-name NBA players were first Globetrotters. Black Hoops also reports on the integration of black women in two professional women's basketball leagues. This history of African Americans in basketball should appeal to any boy or girl who enjoys a game of hoops, as either a player or spectator.
Back to top
Fair Ball! 14 Great Stars from Baseball's Negro Leagues. Written and illustrated by Jonah Winter. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-39464-9. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
For nearly 60 years, African Americans were not permitted to play in baseball's major leagues, but many outstanding baseball players participated in the Negro Leagues. This book is a collection of brief biographies of some of these players. It is beautifully styled by the author, who created baseball cards for the players for whom no commercial cards were ever made. Succinct textual blurbs describe career highlights of these superstars, including Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Satchel Paige. Each profile includes details such as the player's team, position, height, and weight, and is complemented by a nostalgic portrait that captures the time of baseball's segregated past.
Back to top
The Final Cut. Written by Fred Bowen; illustrated by Ann Barrow. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 1999. ISBN 1-56145-192-4 (paperback). 112 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
The friendship of four young boys is tested when only two of them are selected to play on their school's basketball team. The author cleverly sets the stage with convincing dialogue about a realistically presented dilemma. The Final Cut is revealing slice-of-life sports fiction that teaches a moral lesson. The theme -- that not everyone succeeds the first time out -- provides an opportunity for readers to think about and discuss character attributes of dedication, patience, and effort. Basketball players Michael Jordan and Bill Russell are brought in at the end of the narrative to emphasize how even superstars must overcome real-world obstacles on the road to success.
Back to top
Hiking, Outdoor Adventures. Written by David Armentrout. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 1-57103-205-3. 24 pages. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
David Armentrout specializes in nonfiction for the primary grades. Hiking, part of his Outdoor Adventures series, provides an introduction to this sport. Armentrout clearly explains why people hike and discusses aspects of planning, clothes to wear, supplies to bring along, trail food, and safety. He introduces the reader to the enjoyment of hiking and raises environmental concerns by describing the plant life you might find along the trail and advocating that you “leave only your footprints” behind. The book includes an index and glossary, where both definitions and pronunciations are found. I was very impressed by the many pages of colorful photographs and with this glimpse of the many sights (sites) we can see when we go hiking.
Back to top
Hockey: Play by the Rules. Written by David Armentrout and Patricia Armentrout. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 1-57103-221-5. 48 pages. Recommended for preteens and teens.
Ice hockey is growing in popularity in many countries. This guidebook highlights basic information about the game, with a particular emphasis on rules and regulations, in an easy-to-understand and visually appealing manner. “Did You Know” information boxes, photographs, and a concise glossary combine to make this an instructional text that will score points with all readers. Sports books such as Hockey: Play by the Rules encourage readers' interaction with text, thereby extending enjoyment and contributing to genuine learning.
Back to top
Imitate the Tiger. Written by Jan Cheripko. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 1998. ISBN 1-56397-705-2 (paperback). 224 pages. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Chris Serbo feels a hollowness inside that neither football nor alcohol can fill. Everything in his life seems to be going bad. His girlfriend dumped him, his grades are headed south. Worst of all, he believes his own lies. This forcefully written novel, winner of the Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award and a Young Adults' Choice for 1998, engages the reader's attention from the outset by raising critical issues such as desperation, hope, and the search for the meaning of life. Sooner or later, all reflective human beings must deal with the truth of who we really are, not who we pretend to be. This coming-of-age story, intelligently told by Jan Cheripko without a hint of preachiness, is noteworthy for young people because it tackles problems they are likely to face in today's fast-paced world. It pulls no punches but offers great inspiration by using typical teenage activities, such as football, as the backdrop for a high drama of personal growth.
Back to top
Let's Go Fishing on the Ice. Written by George Travis. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 0-86593-464-9. 24 pages. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
In only 24 pages, author George Travis clearly and simply explains what ice fishing is all about. Diagrams and colorful photographs enhance the strategies espoused for catching fish in frozen lakes. Readers are told how to select the right spot for cutting a hole in the ice, the correct equipment to use, and what kind of bait is best to catch particular fish. Before concluding with a small glossary (with phonetic spellings for some words) and pictures and descriptions of eight different fish, Travis addresses “safety first,” reminding readers never to fish alone and outlining the dangers associated with cold weather. I was impressed with the clarity of explanations. Although ice fishing is considered a sport, even nonenthusiasts should enjoy the descriptions of the unique strategies necessary for fishing when lake surfaces are frozen. And for readers in warmer climates, Let's Go Fishing on the Ice can provide a cultural learning experience.
Back to top
The Major, the Poacher, and the Wonderful One-Trout River. Written by Dayton O. Hyde. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 1998. ISBN 1-56397-691-9 (paperback). 160 pages. Recommended for age 10 and up.
Fly fishers young and old will enjoy this classic, possibly the best fishing tale they will come across. My own preference is to view fish in an aquarium, not to try to catch them with a line and hook. However, this rousing story of Major George Quillaine, the gung-ho fishing fanatic who dreams of catching a champion trout and utters the memorable line “Give me but ten who are trout-hearted men,” and the 14-year-old boy who challenges him had me hooked. Plummey and the Major have fishing in common, but their approaches were very different and they were bound to clash when they shared the same goal. This engrossing story for middle or high school students, as exciting as making the perfect cast and the big catch, could lead to discussion of outdoor recreation and wildlife.
Back to top
Martial Arts: The History. Written by Bryant Lloyd. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 1-57103-205-3. 24 pages. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
Martial arts are self-defense systems that use the hands and feet, and this level of contact means that they are not for everybody. Nevertheless, these sports are popular with many young people, and this book may become a favorite for fans of judo, karate, and other martial arts. The author explains the history of martial arts and describes their purpose of developing sound minds and sound bodies. Different techniques of judo, jujitsu, karate, aikido, and other martial arts are described, and traditional martial arts practices are compared to their North American counterparts. The book has difficult-to-pronounce words written phonetically, plus there is a glossary and index. Martial Arts: The History is part of the Play It Like a Pro series, aimed at children who are just beginning to learn how to play particular sports.
Back to top
Off the Rim. Written by Fred Bowen; illustrated by Ann Barrow. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 1998. ISBN 1-56145-161-4. 112 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Anyone who has ever tried to play a sport will understand middle schooler Chris Skallerup's frustration in dealing with his incompetence as a basketball player. His shots more often than not bounce off the rim. He can only dream of getting more playing time while he warms the hardwood bench during games. His friend Greta, the high-scoring star of the girls' team, reminds him that he can't win if he doesn't play. Chris's response? “I can't win if I do play.” So he asks Greta to teach him how to shoot nothing but the net. In due time, he begins to take lessons from Greta's mother, who teaches him that there is more to the game than just sinking the ball through the hoop. Chris learns that defense and teamwork can improve his chances to becoming a success on the court.
Back to top
Shark Attack. Written by Judi Peers. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 1998. ISBN 1-55028-620-X. 74 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 13.
The Lakefield Lions didn't usually stand a chance against the East City Sharks, but that was before the new ace chucker from California, Spike McGarrity, happened upon the scene. Now, Matt Tucker, the East City captain, has to come up with a plan or else all will be lost for the baseball season. The author delivers riveting sports fiction that deals with issues of fair play and team morale. Is an underhanded and sneaky attack strategy ever justified? Is winning the most important element of playing sports? Who really lost and who won when Matt put his plan into action? This book appeals to our innermost sensibilities. As Judi Peers reminds us, “You often win simply by playing the game.”
Back to top
Slam Dunk. Written by Steven Barwin and Gabriel David Tick. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 1998. ISBN 1-55028-598-X. 88 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 13.
This action-packed adventure poignantly examines what boys and girls face when they play basketball on the same team. The author creates dramatic conflict, mingling sensitive gender issues with fast-paced sports action. The Cabbagetown Raptors are going co-ed because four of the male players have been cast in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mason intends to keep an open mind, but many of his friends are dead set against having girls on the team. The upcoming season with its possibility that the Raptors will make it to the national finals supply the perfect setting for this exciting story of rivalry and relationships to play itself out.
Back to top
Softball: Positions. Written by Barbara Bonney. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 0-86593-479-7. 24 pages. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
Barbara Bonney's Softball: Positions is another book in the Play It Like a Pro series from Rourke Press. Bonney describes the positions on a softball team and offers advice on playing each one; she also includes a top-down view of the layout of the infield and outfield, with positions clearly labeled. The book, like all the titles in the series, includes large color photographs, a glossary and index, and phonetic spelling of unusual or difficult words. The text emphasizes aspects of teamwork, such as shifting positions and calling for a ball you intend to catch. This excellent general overview of the game of softball would be well supplemented by Bonney's book of softball rules, reviewed below.
Back to top
Softball: Rules of the Game. Written by Barbara Bonney. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. ISBN 0-86593-481-9. 24 pages. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
The main rules of the game of softball are outlined in this book, part of the Play It Like a Pro series. There is a glossary and index, and large pictures appear on at least every other page. Bonney compares softball and baseball and gives excellent instruction in the rules for pitching, batting, running, and fielding,. She writes with the expertise of a softball player or coach, although the biographical information included about her indicates that she is a librarian and freelance writer living in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Back to top
About the Reviewers
George Font and Don Tauferner are doctoral students at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA, in the Department of Reading Education. George, who reviewed Fair Ball!, The Final Cut, Hockey, Imitate the Tiger, Off the Rim, Shark Attack, and Slam Dunk, conducts research in the areas of comprehension, critical pedagogy, hypermedia, situated cognition, and hermeneutics. Don is certified to teach elementary education and special education in Texas, where he earned his master's degree. His doctoral work focuses on teaching reading skills and study strategies to undergraduates in the college classroom. He reviewed Black Hoops, Hiking, Let's Go Fishing on the Ice, The Major, the Poacher, and the Wonderful One-Trout River, Martial Arts, and the two Softball titles for this column.
Back to top
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted January 2000
© 2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232