Softball for Fun!

September 1, 2006
Gr 3-6 -These guides present the rules of each game, zero in on various aspects of the sport, look at where it -s played and who plays it, and give a lot of fun facts. "Softball" is the best and most readable title. "Figure Skating" is better than average, and "Lacrosse" is the most technical and least interesting. It varies from the other two by having the general text divided into men -s and women -s versions of the sport. It also has a labeling error on the field description page (the endlines are on the sidelines). The photos in all three books, although colorful action shots, do not always match the texts, lose some of the details in the gutters, and seldom identify noted people in the captions. Better choices on skating include Dan Gutman -s "Ice Skating" (Viking, 1995), Peter Morrissey -s "The Young Ice Skater" (DK, 1998), and Debbi Wilkes -s "The Figure Skating Book" (Firefly, 2000). If you need books about lacrosse, try Lois Nicholson -s "The Composite Guide to Lacrosse" (Chelsea House, 1998) or Don Wells -s "For the Love of Lacrosse" (Weigl, 2005). Buy "Softball" if you need more on this topic for female readers." -Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI"

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