(3) 4-6 Sports All-Stars series. Succinct, easy-to-read biographies of these sports stars include brief looks at each person's childhood before focusing on that individual's particular training and road to athletic success. Dramatic narration, direct quotes, color photographs, and sidebars round out the informative main texts; "All-Star Stats" for that sport are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports All-Stars titles: Danica Patrick, Derek Carr, Ezekiel Elliott, Kris Byrant, and Matt Ryan.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Awesome Athletes series. Geared toward middle-grade readers, these slight overviews cover each star athlete's childhood and early career, including personal obstacles overcome (gender/racial barriers, single-parent families, truancy), before focusing on professional success and achievements. Two-page chapters don't offer any depth, but lots of game/competition highlights, stock photos, and action shots will please fans. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Awesome Athletes titles: Danica Patrick, Gabby Douglas, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Heroes of Racing series. These titles cover the highs and lows in the careers of racing stars; very brief details about their personal lives are also included. Though the information is superficial, there's enough detail to hook fans. Crisp full-page photos, sidebars, and appended statistical charts and lists of accomplishments enhance the texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Heroes of Racing titles: Jeff Burton, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Richard Petty.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) YA People in the News series. Patrick has made sports history as a highly successful female Indy car racer. This series entry provides brief biographical details about her early life and influences, then focuses on her racing career and the obstacles she has faced as a woman in a "male-dominated sport." Many photographs illustrate the mostly adulatory text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Modern Role Models series. These biographies chronicle the subjects' rise to fame, major setbacks and accomplishments, and efforts toward helping others. The busy design includes photographs, bolded quotations, and many different-color fonts. Sports fans will appreciate the range of topics discussed in the series, from basketball to snowboarding, auto racing and professional wrestling. There are twelve other fall 2008 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Modern Role Models titles: Danica Patrick, John Cena, Shaun White, Sheryl Swoopes, and Dwyane Wade.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) YA Xtreme Athletes series. Patrick focuses on Danica's drive and determination to excel in a male-dominated sport. Phelps provides a look at a young man's swift rise to Olympic gold. The volumes don't shy away from their subjects' personal struggles and public mistakes but are ultimately concerned with detailing their impressive ascents to the top of their sports. Photographs and informative sidebars support the texts. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Xtreme Athletes titles: Danica Patrick and Michael Phelps.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Race Car Legends series. These books (all but Danica are revised) include behind-the-scenes details that will please racing fans. The biographies profile the racing greats' lives and careers; Need introduces types of auto racing and traces the continuing quest for faster cars. The design is unremarkable and the texts bland, but the books are quite informative. Sidebars and captioned photos of varying quality appear throughout. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review includes these Race Car Legends titles: Jeff Gordon, The Jarretts, Danica Patrick, Mark Martin, The Need for Speed, The Allisons, and A. J. Foyt.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan