(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. Each of these books begins in the middle of one of the athlete's most important performances and from there backtracks to an outline of his or her childhood and athletic accomplishments. The text is dry and choppy and the layout is textbook-like, but the subjects are of interest to the intended audience. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Lance Armstrong, Annika Sorenstam, Carly Patterson, Yao Ming, and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. Each of these books begins in the middle of one of the athlete's most important performances and from there backtracks to an outline of his or her childhood and athletic accomplishments. The text is dry and choppy and the layout is textbook-like, but the subjects are of interest to the intended audience. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Lance Armstrong, Annika Sorenstam, Carly Patterson, Yao Ming, and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. Each of these books begins in the middle of one of the athlete's most important performances and from there backtracks to an outline of his or her childhood and athletic accomplishments. The text is dry and choppy and the layout is textbook-like, but the subjects are of interest to the intended audience. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Lance Armstrong, Annika Sorenstam, Carly Patterson, Yao Ming, and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. Each of these books begins in the middle of one of the athlete's most important performances and from there backtracks to an outline of his or her childhood and athletic accomplishments. The text is dry and choppy and the layout is textbook-like, but the subjects are of interest to the intended audience. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Lance Armstrong, Annika Sorenstam, Carly Patterson, Yao Ming, and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. Each of these books begins in the middle of one of the athlete's most important performances and from there backtracks to an outline of his or her childhood and athletic accomplishments. The text is dry and choppy and the layout is textbook-like, but the subjects are of interest to the intended audience. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Lance Armstrong, Annika Sorenstam, Carly Patterson, Yao Ming, and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. These serviceable titles for reluctant readers pay tribute to two of modern baseball's most accomplished players. Coverage is primarily devoted to the players' baseball careers, with brief glimpses at their early years and personal lives. Controversial issues such as Bonds's negative relationship with the media and rumored steroid use are not addressed. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) K-3 Amazing Athletes series. These serviceable titles for reluctant readers pay tribute to two of modern baseball's most accomplished players. Coverage is primarily devoted to the players' baseball careers, with brief glimpses at their early years and personal lives. Controversial issues such as Bonds's negative relationship with the media and rumored steroid use are not addressed. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(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 Amazing Athletes series. After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(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 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 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 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 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 Amazing Athletes series. After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Amazing Athletes series. After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Amazing Athletes series. After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 This breathless biography commences with a detailed look at Serena's first grand slam victory. Morgan continues with a chronological account of the tennis stars' climb to fame starting with their early childhood and ending with their victories at the 2000 Olympics. References to the importance of education seem tacked on. Color action photos punctuate the chapters. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 4-6 This slim biography focuses on Manning's professional football career as a starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. The conversational text chronicles the development of Manning's talent in high school and college; the influence of his father, sports legend Archie Manning; and the importance Peyton places on being a role model. Color photos, some of poor quality, illustrate the volume. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA This informative history of professional wrestling traces the "combination of athletics and theater" from its roots in American carnivals of the 1800s to the cable television programs of today. In addition to introducing key figures, the book seeks to expose the extent to which pro-wrestling is shaped by the needs of the media. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photos of noteworthy wrestlers. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire