Upsets and Comebacks

The theme of each title in the series is an individual or team that has in some way defied the odds to emerge as winners. The format varies slightly depending on the type of sport. For instance, the focus of the book on tennis is Venus Williams and details of her life growing up in a tough neighborhood. The book on baseball features the Boston Red Sox and their long quest for a World Series championship. The book on hockey features the U.S. team’s win in the 1980 Olympics. Each book has a little about the history of the major competition for that sport (e.g., The World Cup for Soccer), a timeline, glossary, and brief bulleted facts summarizing the text. Sometimes information on competition includes a map showing countries discussed in the text. For example, the book on cycling and Lance Armstrong shows the route of the Tour de France. Big, bold photos, along with . . . historical pictures, break up the information on each page. The large text is easy to read. Titles stand alone, so you can purchase individual books as needed. These books are great for elementary school, as well as for older reluctant readers, for browsers, or for those seeking fast facts. Index. Recommended.