(4) 4-6 Ultimate Sports Road Trips series. Following a rah-rah introduction about the featured sport, each entertaining, if superficial, volume highlights seven or eight stadiums or sites that would make great road trips for super-fans. The four- or six-page sections provide basic place facts (including name, location, date opened, capacity), overviews of the teams' or participants' histories, and captioned photos. A trip map is appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ultimate Sports Road Trips titles: Ultimate NHL Road Trip, Ultimate Soccer Road Trip, Ultimate NBA Road Trip, Ultimate MLB Road Trip, Ultimate NASCAR Road Trip, Ultimate College Basketball Road Trip, Ultimate NFL Road Trip, and Ultimate College Football Road Trip.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Total Sports series. These volumes provide broad overviews of the histories, notable teams and coaches, rivalries, star players, etc., of the title sports; most (not Football) include mention of both men's and women's teams. The texts are easy to read if occasionally vague or overgeneralized. Informative sidebars and copious stock photos enhance the presentations for sports fans. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Total Sports titles: Total Lacrosse, Total Basketball, Total Baseball, Total Hockey, Total Soccer, Total Gymnastics, Total Volleyball, and Total Football.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Versus series. Each volume pits a present-day superstar against one from an earlier era. Comparisons include technical skills, statistics and records, and past or potential legacies. Sports fans will appreciate the many action photographs illustrating the choppy but accessible texts; side-by-side charts provide additional data. No attempt is made to name the superior athlete: that decision is left to the reader. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Versus titles: Lionel Messi vs. Pelé, Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus, Sidney Crosby vs. Wayne Gretzky, LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan, Serena Williams vs. Billie Jean King, and Tom Brady vs. Joe Montana.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 NFL's Top Ten series. Professional football's most outstanding rookies, game-changing plays, legendary rivalries, and stunning upsets are collected and presented in a top-ten format, with each themed volume counting down to number one. The packed layouts include informational sidebars and captioned photos. Sports fans will appreciate the whirlwind descriptions of iconic moments in football history. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these NFL's Top Ten titles: NFL's Top 10 Rookies, NFL's Top 10 Upsets, NFL's Top 10 Plays, and NFL's Top 10 Rivalries.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Legendary World of Sports series. Sports fans are presented with superlative-like trivia in clear prose illustrated with photos on uncluttered layouts. The series features themed moments from the history of a wide variety of sports, both popular team sports (baseball, hockey, basketball, etc.) and individual competitions such as auto- and horse-racing. Unfortunately, the overall coverage slants heavily toward male athletes. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Legendary World of Sports titles: The Most Notorious Curses of All Time, The Oddest Superstitions of all Time, The Most Dominant Dynasties of All Time, The Most Amazing Sports Moments of All Time, The Greatest Coaches of All Times, and The Biggest Upsets of All Time.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 Legendary World of Sports series. Sports fans are presented with superlative-like trivia in clear prose illustrated with photos on uncluttered layouts. The series features themed moments from the history of a wide variety of sports, both popular team sports (baseball, hockey, basketball, etc.) and individual competitions such as auto- and horse-racing. Unfortunately, the overall coverage slants heavily toward male athletes. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Legendary World of Sports titles: The Most Notorious Curses of All Time, The Oddest Superstitions of all Time, The Most Dominant Dynasties of All Time, The Most Amazing Sports Moments of All Time, The Greatest Coaches of All Times, and The Biggest Upsets of All Time.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) K-3 Insider's Guide to Pro Football series. Geared toward second and third graders, this series presents a brief overview of NFL teams. Following the same format, each book notes the team's history, playing location, key players (past and present), memorable games and seasons, and selected statistics. Although the text of each is lackluster, sports enthusiasts will appreciate the full-page photos of players in action. There are twenty-eight other fall 2015 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Insider's Guide to Pro Football titles: Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 SportsZone: Sports' Best Ever series. Each volume profiles fourteen of the best-ever players in its athletic category. Ranging from pioneers (Jacques Plante, who wore the first hockey goalie mask) to current stars (Serena Williams), the readable texts highlight what made each player exceptional. Restrained layouts consist of two-page bios with two photographs and an informational stats box. "Honorable mentions" are included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following SportsZone: Sports' Best Ever titles: The Best Golfers of All Time, The Best Tennis Players of All Time, The Best Hockey Players of All Time, The Best Soccer Players of All Time, The Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time, and The Best Auto Racers of All Time.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 SportsZone: Bowl Games of College Football series. Each title opens by describing how the well-established season-ending college football game developed; the remaining five chapters provide play-by-play highlights of particularly memorable contests. While the facts are all here, the narratives lack excitement, though the accompanying photos help communicate some of each game's significant plays and climactic moments. "Bowl Records" and "Quotes and Anecdotes" are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Bowl Games of College Football titles: The Story of the Orange Bowl, The Story of the Sugar Bowl, The Story of the Rose Bowl, The Story of the Cotton Bowl, The Story of the College Football National Championship Game, and The Story of the Fiesta Bowl.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 SportsZone: Bowl Games of College Football series. Each title opens by describing how the well-established season-ending college football game developed; the remaining five chapters provide play-by-play highlights of particularly memorable contests. While the facts are all here, the narratives lack excitement, though the accompanying photos help communicate some of each game's significant plays and climactic moments. "Bowl Records" and "Quotes and Anecdotes" are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Bowl Games of College Football titles: The Story of the Orange Bowl, The Story of the Sugar Bowl, The Story of the Rose Bowl, The Story of the Cotton Bowl, The Story of the College Football National Championship Game, and The Story of the Fiesta Bowl.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 NBA's Best Ever series. These profiles of outstanding NBA athletes from the past seven decades include biographical details and momentous play descriptions, but they focus on the players' records, awards, and statistics. Dynamic photos showcase each athlete's abilities on the court. The chronological organization allows fans to place their contemporary basketball heroes--such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade--in a historical context. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these NBA's Best Ever titles: The Best NBA Centers of All Time, The Best NBA Forwards of All Time, The Best NBA Guards of All Time, and The Best NBA Dunkers of All Time.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(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) 4-6 NFL's Best Ever series. In a series following the greatest gridiron legends, each book offers a glimpse at the very best players and teams to grace the NFL. Supplementing the brief player bios and season-specific team overviews are concise stat charts and facts in eye-catching sidebars; action shots bring the choppily written vignettes to life and highlight the players' athletic prowess. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these NFL's Best Ever titles: The Best NFL Defenses of All time, The Best NFL Offenses of All Time, The Best NFL Quarterbacks of All Time, and The Best NFL Defensive Players of All Time.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(4) K-3 Sports Stars Who Care series. This series ostensibly highlights professional athletes' good works. The majority of each text is actually biographical information which, while not inaccurate, is nothing really new. Philanthropic work is usually touched upon at the end. Reluctant readers will appreciate the accessible writing style and sports photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Stars Who care titles: Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., David Wright, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) K-3 Sports Stars Who Care series. This series ostensibly highlights professional athletes' good works. The majority of each text is actually biographical information which, while not inaccurate, is nothing really new. Philanthropic work is usually touched upon at the end. Reluctant readers will appreciate the accessible writing style and sports photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Stars Who care titles: Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., David Wright, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Top 10 Sports Stars series. From Babe Ruth to Alex Rodriguez, Oscar Robertson to LeBron James, John Unitas to Tom Brady, this collection provides information about celebrated players. Anecdotes include "the Curse of the Bambino" and Terry Bradshaw's "most famous pass in NFL history." Though the information is selective, the volumes' glossy action photos, concise statistics, and accessible writing style may appeal to reluctant-reader sports fans. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Top 10 Sports Stars titles: Baseball's Top 10 Home Run Hitters, Baseball's Top 10 Pitchers, Basketball's Top 10 Slam Dunkers, Basketball's Top 10 Scorers, Football's Top 10 Quarterbacks, and Football's Top 10 Running Backs.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Top 10 Sports Stars series. From Babe Ruth to Alex Rodriguez, Oscar Robertson to LeBron James, John Unitas to Tom Brady, this collection provides information about celebrated players. Anecdotes include "the Curse of the Bambino" and Terry Bradshaw's "most famous pass in NFL history." Though the information is selective, the volumes' glossy action photos, concise statistics, and accessible writing style may appeal to reluctant-reader sports fans. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Top 10 Sports Stars titles: Baseball's Top 10 Home Run Hitters, Baseball's Top 10 Pitchers, Basketball's Top 10 Slam Dunkers, Basketball's Top 10 Scorers, Football's Top 10 Quarterbacks, and Football's Top 10 Running Backs.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Top 10 Sports Stars series. From Babe Ruth to Alex Rodriguez, Oscar Robertson to LeBron James, John Unitas to Tom Brady, this collection provides information about celebrated players. Anecdotes include "the Curse of the Bambino" and Terry Bradshaw's "most famous pass in NFL history." Though the information is selective, the volumes' glossy action photos, concise statistics, and accessible writing style may appeal to reluctant-reader sports fans. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Top 10 Sports Stars titles: Baseball's Top 10 Home Run Hitters, Baseball's Top 10 Pitchers, Basketball's Top 10 Slam Dunkers, Basketball's Top 10 Scorers, Football's Top 10 Quarterbacks, and Football's Top 10 Running Backs.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(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 Reports series. Clear prose traces the careers of basketball player Hardaway, four time World figure-skating champ Kwan, and Olympic gold medal-winner Lipinski. The emphasis of the books in this series is on professional accomplishments rather than personal information, but sports fans will appreciate the detailed summaries of key competitions. The black-and-white photos are unexceptional. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Sports Reports titles: Tim Hardaway, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta