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THE SOCCER ENCYCLOPEDIA

Name: THE SOCCER ENCYCLOPEDIA
Author: Emily Stead
ISBN: 978-1-78312-571-5

by Emily Stead ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 2021

Red-card it, ref!

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A soccer-themed trivia book that aims to kick off a love of the beautiful game.

Soccer fans who are anxiously awaiting the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar may be tempted to brush up on their knowledge of the sport with this officially licensed FIFA “encyclopedia.” Unfortunately, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association may know a lot about soccer, but they don’t seem to know a lot about creating encyclopedias. There’s a fair amount of information presented to readers, but it’s more a scattershot spray of trivia than a properly organized reference source. Readers expecting alphabetically organized entries, for instance, will find themselves stymied by a topical approach that finds the Copa América filing before the Africa Cup of Nations in a survey of "Major Tournaments" that leads off with (natch) the FIFA World Cup. (There is an index with entries in teeny-tiny type.) The book jumps in this fashion from topic to topic, covering the crowded pages with more photographs of soccer stars than actual facts. Common footie jargon is used but not defined, which may leave newer fans and curious readers with more questions than answers. A source list buried in the front provides sparse online references. Soccer captures the hearts and imaginations of millions; it’s a shame this book will let so many of them down.

Red-card it, ref! (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-78312-571-5

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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UGLY

by Robert Hoge ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2016

An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012).

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A memoir of the first 14 years in the life of Australian Robert Hoge, born with stunted legs and a tumor in the middle of his face.

In 1972, Robert is born, the youngest of five children, with fishlike eyes on the sides of his face, a massive lump in place of his nose, and malformed legs. As baby Robert is otherwise healthy, the doctors convince his parents to approve the first of many surgeries to reduce his facial difference. One leg is also amputated, and Robert comes home to his everyday white, working-class family. There's no particular theme to the tale of Robert's next decade and a half: he experiences school and teasing, attempts to participate in sports, and is shot down by a girl. Vignette-driven choppiness and the lack of an overarching narrative would make the likeliest audience be those who seek disability stories. However, young Robert's ongoing quest to identify as "normal"—a quest that remains unchanged until a sudden turnaround on the penultimate page—risks alienating readers comfortable with their disabilities. Brief lyrical moments ("as compulsory as soggy tomato sandwiches at snack time") appeal but are overwhelmed by the dry, distant prose dominating this autobiography.

An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012). (Memoir. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-425-28775-0

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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MUSIC WAS IT

YOUNG LEONARD BERNSTEIN

by Susan Goldman Rubin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2011

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An impeccably researched and told biography of Leonard Bernstein’s musical apprenticeship, from toddlerhood to his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 25. Rubin traces Lenny’s education, musical influences and enduring friendships. Lenny reveled in mounting elaborate musical productions in Sharon, Mass., his family’s summer community. As a student, he augmented support from his family by giving lessons, accompanying singers, transcribing music and more; the narrative sparkles with details that match its subject’s energy and verve. Especially crystalline are the links drawn between father Sam’s decades-long dismissal of his son’s musical gifts and the consequential importance of mentors and supportive teachers in the young man’s life. In exploring Lenny’s devout Jewish roots and coming of age during the persecution of Jews in Europe, the author reveals how dramatically Bernstein altered the landscape for conductors on the American scene. In an epilogue sketching Bernstein’s later life, she briefly mentions his bisexuality, marriage and children. Drawn from interviews, family memoirs and other print resources, quotations are well-integrated and assiduously attributed. Photos, concert programs, early doodles and letters, excerpts from musical scores and other primary documentation enhance the text. Excellent bookmaking—from type to trim size—complements a remarkable celebration of a uniquely American musical genius. (chronology, biographical sketches, author’s note, discography, bibliography, quotation sources, index) (Biography. 9-12)