(4) 4-6 Sports Star Champions series. These formulaic biographies feature accessible texts describing the careers of famous athletes and plenty of full-page color photographs. The open, non-intimidating pages and information that should satisfy book-report requirements recommend the titles for purchase. Difficulties some of the athletes have had (such as "personal problems" for Bryant and steroid use for Rodriguez) are acknowledged but not sensationalized. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Star Champions titles: Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Payton Manning, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) YA People in the News series. Each title touches on the athlete's childhood, adult life, achievements, and surrounding controversies. Though the writing tends to be overly laudatory, difficult issues are occasionally addressed ("Rodriguez's Steroid Use," "Serena's Legacy Is Tarnished"). Sidebars cover more general topics, such as baseball free agency or racism in tennis. Many photographs are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Alex Rodriguez and Serena Williams.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Benchmark All-Stars series. Six well-known athletes are profiled in these readable biographies. The texts, an appealing mix of personal and professional details, are accompanied by a variety of large color photographs. A couple of the books are missing up-to-date information, such as Armstrong's 2004 Tour de France win, and there's only a brief mention of Rodriguez's trade to the Yankees. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Benchmark All-Stars titles: Alex Rodriquez, Donovan McNabb, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, Tony Hawk, and Yao Ming.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes series. These books for reluctant readers briefly cover each subject's early years before focusing on his or her athletic career. The coverage is superficial and adulatory but accessible; controversy and adversity are ignored. Action photos, a timeline, and stats help break up the text. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes titles: Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Tony Hawk, Kobe Bryant, Venus & Serena Williams, and Yao Ming.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Super Sports Star series. Six contemporary baseball stars are honored in serviceable biographies, all generously illustrated with color photos, intended for reluctant readers. The books' basic, unremarkable writing focuses primarily on key moments in the players' major-league careers. Rodriguez, currently playing for the Yankees, is pictured in his Rangers uniform; the other titles are also outdated. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Super Sports Star titles: Super Sports Star Mike Piazza, Super Sports Star Alex Rodriguez, Super Sports Star Ichiro Suzuki, Super Sports Star Barry Bonds, Super Sports Star Chipper Jones, and Super Sports Star Ken Griffey, Jr.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(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) K-3 Dorling Kindersley Readers series. Three serviceable titles about baseball's biggest contemporary stars will appeal to fans and reluctant readers. Because they focus primarily on active players, the books are already outdated (e.g., Shortstops precedes A-Rod's recent trade and history-making contract). Generous color photos and drawings enhance every page. Home Run Heroes is written at an easier level than the other series titles. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(4) 4-6 Latinos in Baseball series. These serviceable profiles mix baseball achievements with biographical detail and discuss each player's ties to Latino culture. Among the subjects covered are adapting to life in the United States, learning English, and getting along with fans. The series' design, which includes stock black-and-white photos of uneven quality, is rather dull, but fans probably won't mind. Each book contains a list of stats and a chronology. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 New Wave series. Profiling young athletes who have risen quickly in their sports, these biographies of three admirable young men discuss how each one overcame adversity in childhood to reach the pinnacle of his career: Rodriguez in baseball, Davis in football, and Duncan in basketball. The photographs aren't always engaging, but the texts offer much to interest fans. Ind.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Doug Keith. Published spring 1998. Emphasizing the values they learned as children and relied on to become successful, Seattle Mariners shortstop Rodriguez and New England Patriots quarterback Bledsoe offer advice to readers. Color photographs accompany the mixture of good advice and biographical detail, but the poorly designed books also include amateurish drawings.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Three biographies present contemporary stars in the worlds of hockey, baseball, basketball. The texts provide brief, laudatory looks at the amateur and professional careers of the respected athletes. A variety of crisp color photographs scan from childhood to the present. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck