(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Opinionated yet informative, these latest additions to the series blend anecdotes, quotations, and facts to create engaging portraits of six of America's greatest sports stars. With some of the subject matter overlapping, these biographies focus on their athletes' careers, but also offer insight into the social and political realities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Photographs and sidebars are incorporated into the reader-friendly designs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biography titles: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) YA Baseball Superstars series. These baseball biographies are unusually sophisticated in their analysis of each player within the context of his time and the state of Major League Baseball. Nuanced discussions of the player's strengths and personal failings (e.g., Ty Cobb's batting prowess versus his brutality) round out the portraits. Many photos, sidebars, and stats are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Baseball Superstars titles: Ty Cobb, Mike Piazza, Kirby Puckett, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Lou Gehrig.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by C. F. Payne. In 1931, a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game. Mitchell's extraordinary achievement and the years of effort it took to achieve her level of skill are chronicled capably, if a bit breathlessly, in this lavishly illustrated book, replete with expressive, sculptural renderings of Mitchell and some of baseball's greats.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 Carolrhoda On My Own Books series. Illustrated by Jeni Reeves. In 1931, seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell not only was signed to a minor league baseball contract but also struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig--a first for women. Although she was later barred from baseball because it was considered inappropriate for women, Jackie's story is still inspiring. Illustrated with mediocre full-color drawings, the easy-to-read text will appeal to primary-age children.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow