(3) 4-6 Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer series. The international soccer stars highlighted in these small-trim, quick biographical profiles have all overcome injuries, family pressures, and professional challenges to become world-class athletes. Supplemented with color photos and a listing of each star's career highlights and awards, the well-written narratives effectively weave subjects' personal stories and athletic achievements into bios that will inform and inspire young soccer fans. Websites. Ind. Review covers these Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer titles: Soccer Star André Iniesta, Soccer Star Kaká, Soccer Star Robinho, Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer Star Lionel Messi, and Soccer Star Ronaldinho.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer series. The international soccer stars highlighted in these small-trim, quick biographical profiles have all overcome injuries, family pressures, and professional challenges to become world-class athletes. Supplemented with color photos and a listing of each star's career highlights and awards, the well-written narratives effectively weave subjects' personal stories and athletic achievements into bios that will inform and inspire young soccer fans. Websites. Ind. Review covers these Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer titles: Soccer Star André Iniesta, Soccer Star Kaká, Soccer Star Robinho, Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer Star Lionel Messi, and Soccer Star Ronaldinho.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer series. The international soccer stars highlighted in these small-trim, quick biographical profiles have all overcome injuries, family pressures, and professional challenges to become world-class athletes. Supplemented with color photos and a listing of each star's career highlights and awards, the well-written narratives effectively weave subjects' personal stories and athletic achievements into bios that will inform and inspire young soccer fans. Websites. Ind. Review covers these Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer titles: Soccer Star André Iniesta, Soccer Star Kaká, Soccer Star Robinho, Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer Star Lionel Messi, and Soccer Star Ronaldinho.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Sports Stars Who Care series. These books touch on the philanthropic efforts of the title sports stars, in some cases greatly padded by biographical information and career stats (Albert Pujols started a foundation for kids with Down syndrome, which his daughter has, making his efforts seem more personal). Beyond the do-gooder hook there's nothing much new, but reluctant readers will appreciate the accessible writing style and sports photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Stars Who Care titles: Derek Jeter, Lionel Messi, Tim Tebow, Dwight Howard, Shaun White, Eli Manning, and [Albert Pujols.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Sports Stars Who Care series. These books touch on the philanthropic efforts of the title sports stars, in some cases greatly padded by biographical information and career stats (Albert Pujols started a foundation for kids with Down syndrome, which his daughter has, making his efforts seem more personal). Beyond the do-gooder hook there's nothing much new, but reluctant readers will appreciate the accessible writing style and sports photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Stars Who Care titles: Derek Jeter, Lionel Messi, Tim Tebow, Dwight Howard, Shaun White, Eli Manning, and [Albert Pujols.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks series. Each title presents sport-specific skills, drills, and techniques, including the proper mechanics of passing, shooting, and scoring, as well as defensive strategies and game rules. "Pro Tips and Tricks," mainly work-ethic quotes from such pros as Tom Brady and Mary Lou Retton, are scattered throughout the texts. Instructive action photographs include both professional athletes and kids at play. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks titles: Top 25 Baseball Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Gymnastics Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Hockey Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Soccer Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Basketball Skills, Tips, and Tricks, and Top 25 Football Skills, Tips, and Tricks.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks series. Each title presents sport-specific skills, drills, and techniques, including the proper mechanics of passing, shooting, and scoring, as well as defensive strategies and game rules. "Pro Tips and Tricks," mainly work-ethic quotes from such pros as Tom Brady and Mary Lou Retton, are scattered throughout the texts. Instructive action photographs include both professional athletes and kids at play. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks titles: Top 25 Baseball Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Gymnastics Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Hockey Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Soccer Skills, Tips, and Tricks, Top 25 Basketball Skills, Tips, and Tricks, and Top 25 Football Skills, Tips, and Tricks.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Wild History of the American West series. These books chronicle the history of three events that played major roles in the expansion and settlement of the American West. The readable texts are well researched and informative. The screen shots used to illustrate the books are blurry, but archival photographs, maps, and drawings add interest (a mistake in Cherokee's timeline is unfortunate). Chapter notes are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Wild History of the American West titles: Custer's Stunning Defeat, The Cherokee Trail of Tears, and The Texas Fight for Independence.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Wild History of the American West series. These books chronicle the history of three events that played major roles in the expansion and settlement of the American West. The readable texts are well researched and informative. The screen shots used to illustrate the books are blurry, but archival photographs, maps, and drawings add interest (a mistake in Cherokee's timeline is unfortunate). Chapter notes are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Wild History of the American West titles: Custer's Stunning Defeat, The Cherokee Trail of Tears, and The Texas Fight for Independence.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Sports Leaders series. Pro basketball players Kidd and Carter are profiled in well-documented if pedestrian prose that emphasizes athletic achievements over their personal lives. Many of the accompanying black-and-white photographs are intentionally fractured, a technique that adds action and movement to otherwise standard sports shots. College and NBA career statistics are included in both volumes. Websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Sports Leaders titles: Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(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.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(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.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Sports Great Books series. The books in this series look at their subjects from childhood to superstardom. Illustrated with grainy black-and-white action photos, these brief, formulaic biographies stress the importance of education and commitment, as well as the merits of sportsmanship. Career statistics and related websites are appended. Ind. [Review covers these Sports Great Books titles: Sports Great Keith Van Horn, Sports Great Derek Jeter, Sports Great Tiger Woods, Sports Great Rebecca Lobo, Sports Great Grant Hill.]

Reviewer: Kathleen S. Rourke

(4) YA Legends of Health and Fitness series. Each book begins with an overview of a sport, followed by profiles of four notable participants. The biographical entries record personal background and career highlights while emphasizing the fitness regimens that have made each athlete a champion. Illustrated with uneven-quality black-and-white photos and printed in an overly ornate typeface, each profile also includes a time line. There are six other books in this series. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Legends of Health and Fitness series. Each book begins with an overview of a sport, followed by profiles of four notable participants. The biographical entries record personal background and career highlights while emphasizing the fitness regimens that have made each athlete a champion. Illustrated with uneven-quality black-and-white photos and printed in an overly ornate typeface, each profile also includes a time line. There are six other books in this series. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Sports Great Books series. These formulaic profiles--mixing career highlights with personal histories--present the achievements of three NBA stars. Garnett went directly to the NBA from high school, and Marbury played only one season in college. Mutombo attended Georgetown, but only when his height was noticed on campus was he asked to join the team. Each book is illustrated with dark black-and-white action photos. Ind.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Sports Achievers series. Three new entries in the series, spotlighting stars of volleyball, football, and basketball, join a revision of a previous volume on Wayne Gretzky. The books strike a good balance between personal and professional information, though the coverage is never very deep. Gretzky is illustrated with black-and-white photos; the other books are chiefly illustrated in color. A section of sports stats concludes each volume. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Sports Great series. The poorly reproduced black-and-white photographs that illustrate these formulaic biographies are disappointing. However, fans will appreciate the information about each athlete's childhood, the honest discussion of personality flaws, and the detailed game descriptions. Career stats and fan mail addresses are included. Ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.