Don't Break the Balance Beam!

January 1, 2011

Gr 2-4-These early chapter books are about six friends who attend the Victory School for Super Athletes. In the first book, Kenzie is a gymnast whose super strength allows her to dominate when it comes to handsprings and flips, but works against her on the balance beam. After a meet at which she breaks the beam in half, she's too embarrassed to attempt her routine again. Coach Trish and Kenzie's best friend offer encouragement, and, sure enough, when she focuses on channeling her strength, she is able to master the balance beam. In the second book, Danny has the speed necessary to be a great running back, but he finds that faster isn't always better. Eating too fast gives him a stomachache, and racing through his schoolwork is causing him to make so many errors that he is actually suspended from playing a game. As Danny's parents and sister help him learn to slow down and enjoy life, the balance allows him to get his focus back and perform even better in his next football game. Colorful full-page illustrations capture the energy of the friends immersed in their various pursuits, and the short chapters will appeal to sports fans who are making the transition to chapter books.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
Grades 2-4 Jessica attends a special school for gifted athletes. Her particular ability lies in her super strength: her leg power allows her to fly into the air when she does flips, handsprings, and cartwheels. Her problem is controlling her strength, and she is horribly embarrassed in front of a big audience when she pushes off so hard into a back handspring that she breaks the balance beam. Her teammates jeer at her, except for her cheerleader friend, who remembers when she jumped so high in a pep rally that she got stuck in the basketball hoop. In a predictable close, Jessica works hard and triumphs at last. Told in brief chapters with spacious type, the drama of being humiliated will grab the clumsy as well as the athletic. The drawings on every page feature exaggerated characters with big, cartoonish eyes, and they capture both the incredible physical feats and the inner turmoil with subtle body language. An accessible entry in the new Sports Illustrated Kids: Victory School Superstars series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)