Review by Booklist Review
This lively book has a magazine-like layout featuring glossy pages, colorful photos and design elements, and a Q&A format. Each of the 101 entries (usually on a full- or double-page spread) opens with a large-print question, such as, Which hockey superstar competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympics? or Who was the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series? An adjacent box provides the answer in one or more paragraphs. Additional fast facts occasionally appear as well. The coverage is broad, including a variety of sports. Not all the athletes are widely known. While many are American or Canadian, many other nationalities are represented. Readers unfamiliar with sports history will meet notables such as Althea Gibson, Sonja Henie, and Nadia Comaneci as well as many award-winning and record-breaking athletes today. Journalistic in style, the writing is succinct, direct, and studded with quotes. The many excellent photos bring action and drama to the pages. Choice browsing material for sports fans.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-8-How do you get eight tennis superstars all into the same sports book? By asking the right questions. One hundred and one women athletes and their individual feats are gathered together in 120 or so pages. Who was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game? Lisa Leslie. Who shot the lowest round in LPGA tour history? Annika Sorenstam. The book is divided into chapters-"Superstars," "Wonder Women," "Trailblazers," "Record Breakers," and "Champions"-but many of the women featured could appear in any or all of the sections. Major sports are covered, so readers will find their favorite gymnasts and soccer players, but games like roller derby, bowling, and polo are also included. The main draw of the book is the action-packed photography on bright, colorful pages. The arresting images of women in motion will hook readers. Pages are dotted with elements such as "fast facts" and "wow factor" info boxes and quotes from the -players. The slight back matter includes an -index. VERDICT An inspiring and browsable -selection for most nonfiction -collections.-Marie Drucker, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Tributes to 101 women who made names for themselves in sports or other athletic endeavors.Grouped in chapters but really arranged arbitrarily, the gallery begins about a century ago with figure skater Sonja Henie and swimmer Gertrude Ederle and continues (while growing more nationally and racially diverse) up to teenage pitcher Mo'ne Davis. In between it highlights select achievements of women in sports from bowling (Marion Ladewig) to roller derby (Anne Calvello) and mixed martial arts (Ronda Rousey). "Firsts" for women, such as climbing Mount Everest (Junko Tabei), also receive nods, as do athletes who overcame childhood disabilities (Wilma Rudolph) or excelled at the Paralympic Games. Each entry focuses on career highlights and comes with a color action photo. Many also feature a quote or "Wow Factor" inset trumpeting some signal feat. The abbreviated narratives frequently leave out "women's" as a qualifier for other significant information, so that readers who don't know what a basketball "dunk" is may be unimpressed that Cheryl Miller made two and will come away with the impression that Kathrine Switzer won the New York Marathon outright in 1974 (she was the first woman but came in 59th overall). Still, younger readers looking for athletic role models will find plenty to choose from.Best suited for quick hits or casual browsing but unusually broad in scope and cast. (Collective biography. 9-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
