Readers will come away believing nothing is more important than knowing you have people in your corner.
by Jesselyn Silva with Brin Stevens ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2019
At only 12, Jesselyn “Jesszilla” Silva is in the ring to win Olympic gold, no matter how many hurdles get in her way.
Jess tells readers she knew she wanted to be a boxer from the age of 7. With too-big gear and fierce determination, Jess started down a road that will hopefully take her all the way to Olympic gold. Readers might think that the hardest part about being a girl boxer would be the uphill battle of proving herself tough enough, but while that can be a challenge, the bigger complication for Jess is simply finding other girls her age to fight. This is important, she tells readers, because Jess needs to be a registered boxer and to have fought in five registered bouts in order to qualify for the Junior Olympics, and sparring fights with boys her age don’t count. Jess is a smart, strong Latinx girl with a fierce determination, and readers will root through her wins and losses, ups and downs, all the way to the 2018 Junior Olympics. While the writing can be a bit uneven, young girls will be able to relate to Jess and will be inspired by her fighting spirit. Her loving relationship with her father and the support of her coach give an emotional weight to the story.
Readers will come away believing nothing is more important than knowing you have people in your corner. (Memoir. 9-12)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51840-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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by Patricia McMahon & illustrated by John Godt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2000
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 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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by Patricia McMahon & photographed by Susan G. Drinker
by Len Berman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 7, 2010
In no particular order and using no set criteria for his selections, veteran sportscaster Berman pays tribute to an arbitrary gallery of baseball stars—all familiar names and, except for the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, retired from play for decades. Repeatedly taking the stance that statistics are just numbers but then reeling off batting averages, home-run totals, wins (for pitchers) and other data as evidence of greatness, he offers career highlights in a folksy narrative surrounded by photos, side comments and baseball-card–style notes in side boxes. Readers had best come to this with some prior knowledge, since he casually drops terms like “slugging percentage,” “dead ball era” and “barnstorming” without explanation and also presents a notably superficial picture of baseball’s history—placing the sport’s “first half-century” almost entirely in the 1900s, for instance, and condescendingly noting that Jackie Robinson’s skill led Branch Rickey to decide that he “was worthy of becoming the first black player to play in the majors.” The awesome feats of Ruth, Mantle, the Gibsons Bob and Josh, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb and the rest are always worth a recap—but this one’s strictly minor league. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3886-4
Page Count: 138
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2010
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by Len Berman
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