(4) K-3 Spot Sports series. Each slim easy reader opens with a photo glossary highlighting four sport-specific vocabulary words, accompanied by instructions: "Look for these words and pictures as you read." The following spreads are organized around these keywords, with bright stock photos and a smattering of facts. The volumes are light on substance but effectively reinforce the meaning of a small number of relevant terms.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Joven. This inspirational story relates African American Charles Luther Sifford's difficult struggle to break professional golf's color barrier in 1961. Churnin traces Sifford's journey from being a caddie to winning the National Negro Open numerous times to finally competing in (and later winning) PGA tournaments. Churnin's narrative is understated but moving, and Joven's muted color illustrations catch the story's setting and spirit. Includes an author's note. Timeline.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Almost-seventeen-year-old Frank Baker is a golf prodigy poised for college. Frank's ambitious, hard-driving father, however, wants him to turn pro immediately. Frank resists with the help of his high-school coach and a former pro-golfer turned journalist. The engaging story is filled with on-the-green action and jargon, which are targeted toward golf fans, but the unexpectedly high drama should draw in others, too.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Jake Maddox Sports Stories series. Illustrated by Aburtov. Black-and-white full-page illustrations accompany these hi-lo stories involving talented athletes in tennis (Doubles), football (Punter's), bull-riding (Rodeo), and golf (Secondhand). The message-laden texts highlight the importance of focus and fair play to achieve team victory and accomplish personal goals. The engaging, action-packed stories should appeal to sports enthusiasts. Each book is supplemented by background on the sport, discussion questions, and writing prompts. Glos. Review covers these Jake Maddox Sports Stories titles: Double Trouble, Punter's Pride, Rodeo Challenge, and Secondhand Slice.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 1-3 Judy Moody and Friends series. Illustrated by Erwin Madrid. To fit in with her left-handed dad and brother Stink, Judy pledges to do everything as a lefty for a whole day. This is harder than she expected: everyday activities like eating are a complete mess. But in typical Judy fashion, she persists--and manages to make a rare hole-in-one mini-golf shot to boot. This full-color transitional-reader spinoff series has all the appeal of the Judy Moody chapter books.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Calico: Ghost Detectors series. Illustrated by Dave Shephard. Young ghost detectives Malcolm and Dandy encounter a doll-obsessed poltergeist (Dolled), a haunted mini-golf course (Lies), a dance teacher running rehearsals from beyond the grave (Kick), and a ghost zookeeper with a full complement of ghost zoo animals (Lions). Stilted dialogue aside, the large print, simple plots, and comic-style illustrations make these light books accessible for those not quite ready for Goosebumps. Review covers these Calico: Ghost Detectors titles: All Dolled Up!, As It Lies!, One, Two, Three, Kick!, and Lions, Tiger & Bears, Oh My!.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(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 Playmakers series. These volumes provide brief profiles of basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, football, and golf standouts. The choppy texts focus on each player's biggest games to date (through early 2017) and impressive statistical accomplishments, while also touching on his or her background and personal life. Color photographs capture the athletic action. "Fun Facts and Quotes" are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Playmakers titles: Odell Beckham Jr., Jordan Spieth, Serena Williams, Bryce Harper, Stephen Curry, and Neymar.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Making the Play series. Linking science to sports, each volume makes physics concepts accessible to elementary-age readers. Eye-catching visuals and simple texts explain how concepts such as force, mass, and inertia affect performance in these sports. Each book includes a final hands-on activity (not sports-related) to test the concepts (e.g., in Football, using a garden hose to test projectile motion). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Making the Play titles: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Golf, Soccer, and Volleyball.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Women in Sports series. These books offer brief introductions to female leaders in professional basketball (Parker), golf (Wie), and soccer (Wambach). A timeline footer carries readers through the pages as large color photographs illustrate the athletes in action. While the brief, large-font texts are designed with early readers in mind, fans will find them skimpy in content. Common Core critical thinking questions appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Pebble Plus: Women in Sports titles: Candace Parker, Michelle Wie, and Abby Wambach.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Magical realism and golf as a metaphor for life pervade Lawson's 1972-set novel about eleven-year-old Ben's struggle to come to terms with his father's recent death. Objects, including Daddy's ashes, speak to Ben, precipitating his journey from Alabama to Georgia's Augusta National Golf Club in the company of a secretive female runaway. Lawson's prose--lush as a golf course green--illuminates Ben's acute visual observations.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrée Prigent. After dung beetle Babak discovers a strange white "egg," he searches for its owner: "an egg needs to be sat on!" He decides to keep it after he spots the egg's "parents" (adult humans): they're "armed with long sticks" (golf clubs) and "hitting the eggs...through the air!" Fine-spun woodcutlike art amplifies the underlying humanity in this French import's perfectly executed gag.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes series. This biography series features minority and female athletes (four men, two women) who helped shatter glass ceilings in their respective sports (tennis, golf, baseball, and boxing). The simplistic texts, which align to Common Core Standards, often raise more questions than answers but may inspire further reading. Archival photographs add interest, and lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes titles: Arthur Ashe, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Billie Jean King, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Roberto Clemente.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) K-3 SportsZone: Playmakers series. Each athlete profile written for newly independent readers begins with a short action anecdote. After some brief family and childhood background, the bulk of each adulatory biography deals with the development of the athlete from rookie to seasoned professional; charitable and community-building behaviors are briefly mentioned. Color photos help to personalize the rather bland narratives. Facts and quotes are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Playmakers titles: Michelle Wie, Maya Moore, Mike Trout, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Rory McIlroy.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(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) K-3 SportsZone: Playmakers series. Each athlete profile written for newly independent readers begins with a short action anecdote. After some brief family and childhood background, the bulk of each adulatory biography deals with the development of the athlete from rookie to seasoned professional; charitable and community-building behaviors are briefly mentioned. Color photos help to personalize the rather bland narratives. Facts and quotes are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Playmakers titles: Michelle Wie, Maya Moore, Mike Trout, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Rory McIlroy.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 SportsZone: Greatest Events in Sports History series. Robinson and Woods share the stories of two athletes breaking racial barriers in their respective sports. World Cup covers the growth of women's soccer to its record number of viewers for the 1999 U.S. World Cup win. Accessible texts, lots of color photos, and related sidebars provide compelling time capsules. There are three other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Greatest Events in Sports History titles: Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier, US Women Win the World Cup, and Tiger Woods Makes Masters History.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) YA Ten riveting "rounds" profile Babe Didrikson Zaharias, one of the world's most remarkable athletes. Born in 1911, Babe excelled at basketball, track and field, baseball, and (most notably) golf, setting world records and playing professionally at a time when women athletes were rare. Her lasting legacy includes co-founding today's Ladies Professional Golf Association. Plentiful archival photos show Babe in action. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 SandCastle: Sports by the Numbers series. These easy-to-read books superficially discuss different sports and their relationships to numbers. Chapters provide general sports information ("A golf course has either 9 or 18 holes") and word problems that test reader's ability to add and subtract. Additional facts and answers to the problems appear at the end. Cheery photos and mundane computer-generated illustrations accompany the kid-friendly, accessible text. Glos. Review covers these Sports by the Numbers titles: Bowling by the Numbers, Golf by the Numbers, Gymnastics by the Numbers, and Skateboarding by the Numbers.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 4-6 Wyatt, an awkward, bullied eighth grader, hopes that playing football will earn him some respect. When his parents refuse to let him join the team, Wyatt's older brother Aaron makes him an offer: he can play for the underground "League of Pain," but he must maintain their secrecy. Although a little didactic, this is a solid read for middle-school reluctant readers, particularly those interested in football.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman