(3) YA Great Hispanic Heritage series. Sosa is a complicated subject. Despite undeniable achievements as a homerun hitter, he's been embroiled in unresolved controversies involving using a corked bat, possibly using steroids, and mishandling funds in his charitable foundation. This book doesn't shy away from Sosa's difficulties but convincingly advocates for his popularity as a poor boy who's risen high. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(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 Latinos in the Limelight series. Three books in this series feature two baseball players originally from the Dominican Republic and Latino-American Gomez, a hockey player. Quotes from the athletes and their acquaintances abound with little in the way of citations, but the texts are lively enough for the sports fans who will be attracted. Some of the color photos look washed out. A chronology and list of accomplishments are included. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez, Scott Gomez.]

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Dorling Kindersley Readers series. This entry follows the series format, with each double-page spread devoted to an aspect of baseball and illustrated with copious photographs and drawings. Most aspects of the game are afforded a surprisingly high level of detail, with attention paid to related topics such as softball, Little League, and the game's growing international presence. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) 4-6 Translated by Julia Cisneros Fitzpatrick. This biography of Sosa, from his shining shoes in Santo Domingo to baseball stardom, discusses his sports career and his personal life, culminating in the home run duel with Mark McGwire and his humanitarian initiatives in his native country. Illustrated with color photos, the text is generally well translated. Stats are appended. Also available in English. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza

(3) 4-6 This well-written biography of Sosa, from his shoe shining in Santo Domingo to baseball stardom, discusses his sports career and his personal life, culminating in the home run duel with Mark McGwire and Sosa's humanitarian initiatives in his native country. The book includes color photos and statistics. Also available in Spanish. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza

(3) 4-6 Latinos in Baseball series. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, each book in this well-written series describes play action that highlights the player's baseball career, then discusses his childhood and development as a professional player. The mistakes each star has made are confronted directly (such as Alomar's infamous spitting at an umpire), and the resulting portraits of the players provide informative, balanced looks at each. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Both the professional and personal lives of superstars McGwire and Sosa are effectively portrayed in Stewart's text. Especially interesting to young readers will be the ways each player coped with the pressures of constant public scrutiny and their own high expectations of breaking Roger Maris's home run record. Sports action photos supplement the informative text. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman