Tons of fun for sporty types and compulsive experimenters.
Five dudes and Panda, an occasional costumed guest, lay out dozens of awesome stunts using sports gear and household materials.
Inspired by antics documented in hundreds of videos posted on their popular YouTube channel, the five on-screen hosts who comprise Dude Perfect—Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones, and Tyler Toney—open with introductions, then parlay their beginnings sinking hoops with trick shots made over the shoulder, off tall buildings, from aircraft, and so on into more doable but similarly challenging throws with not just basketballs, but footballs, ping-pong balls, and even random housewares, along with activities involving remote-controlled vehicles and more. Safety is a consideration: There are periodic reminders to ask a grown-up for help and information about the dudes’ careful behind-the-scenes preparations. Instructions for making breakaway glass require pouring a boiling sugar solution into molds, and one trick involves throwing footballs with tacks attached at inflated balloon targets. The step-by-step directions are general enough to allow plenty of creativity, and sidebar explanations of, for instance, Wiffle ball and trampoline physics make occasional STEM connections. The performers mug and caper extravagantly throughout to crank up the energy, and their ambition and infectious glee combine to create a strong inducement for readers of any gender or ability level to put down the phone and get off the sofa. The dudes all present as White.
Tons of fun for sporty types and compulsive experimenters. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4002-1707-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2021
A stereotype about people with disabilities is shattered by this introduction to a dance company known as Dancing Wheels, a group composed of “sit down” and “stand-up” dancers. The story begins with Mary Fletcher-Verdi, born with spina bifida, a condition that causes weakness in the legs and spine. Mary always wanted to dance, and, encouraged by a family who focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn’t, she studied the art and eventually formed a mixed company, some who dance on their legs, and some who dance in wheelchairs. What she accomplished can be seen in this photo journal of the group’s dance workshop in which beginners and experienced dancers study and rehearse. Along the way, McMahon (One Belfast Boy, 1999, etc.) intersperses the history of the group, some details about the dancers, their families, and the rehearsal process that leads up to the final performance. Three children are featured, Jenny a wheelchair dancer, Devin, her stand-up partner, and Sabatino, the young son of Mary’s partner. The focus on these youngsters gives the reader a sense of their personalities and their lives with their families. Godt’s (Listen for the Bus, not reviewed, etc.) color photographs detail every aspect of the story and show the dancers at home and in rehearsal, interacting with each other, having fun, and finally performaning. They convey the dancer’s sense of joy as well as the commitment to the dance as an art form felt by the adult directors and teachers. An excellent book for helping children and adults expand their understanding about the abilities of the “disabled.” (Nonfiction. 7-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-395-88889-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In the same format as his Newbery Honor title The Great Fire (1995), Murphy brings the blizzard of 1888 to life. He shows how military weather-monitoring practices, housing and employment conditions, and politics regarding waste management, transportation monopolies, and utilities regulation, all contributed to—and were subsequently affected by—the disaster. He does so through an appealing narrative, making use of first-hand accounts whose sources he describes in his notes at the end (though, disappointingly he cites nothing directly in the text). The wealth of quotable material made available through the letters of members of “the Society of Blizzard Men and Blizzard Ladies” and other sources help to make the story vivid. Many drawings and photographs (some of the blizzard, but most of related scenes) illustrate the text. These large reproductions are all in a sepia-tone that matches the color of the typeface—an effect that feels over-the-top, but doesn’t detract significantly from the power of the story. Murphy’s ability to pull in details that lend context allows him to tell this story of a place in time through the lens of a single, dramatic episode that will engage readers. This is skillfully done: humorous, jaw-dropping, thought-provoking, and chilling. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-590-67309-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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