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RULES OF THE GAME

Name: RULES OF THE GAME
Author: Marjorie Maddox
ISBN: 978-1-59078-603-1

BASEBALL POEMS

by Marjorie Maddox & illustrated by John Sandford ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2009

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A singularly unattractive, cramped design does nothing to help this collection of baseball-themed poems. From “Balk” to “Grand Slam,” 42 poems tackle seemingly every aspect of play, even including the defunct “Catch on Bound” rule that hasn’t pertained for eons. Some of the imagery is nicely apt: from “Home Run,” “Anything less is a slice. / Hungry, you want the whole pie. / With the ball out of sight past the wall, / you crave every last crumb of the run...” Internal rhymes and wordplay provide most of the energy that drives this particular engine, and at their best, they’re good fun. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of poems—often four to a spread, all rendered in the same tightly leaded lines of type in a 13-point font—overwhelms readers. Sandford’s pencil illustrations, some hyperrealistic, some more playful (a startled batter, Band-aid on his hand, jumps out of the path of a “Beanball”), are set on an unvaried pale-orange background; the relentless visual sameness of each spread combines with the mass of print on the page to strike this one out. (Picture book/poetry. 11-14)

Pub Date: April 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59078-603-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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GIRLS

A HISTORY OF GROWING UP FEMALE IN AMERICA

by Penny Colman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

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A brief discussion of the development and persistence of gender roles acts as an introduction to this excellent overview of what it has meant to be a girl in this country, from pre-colonial times to the present. Colman (Rosie the Riveter, 1995, etc.) never resorts to a generic ideal or tells the story as if she is speaking of an “everygirl”; instead, she allows a narrative to emerge from the histories and words of real people, from every social, ethnic, and economic level in the US. Some of the subjects and speakers are well-known, others are not (although they probably ought to be), but all are interesting and inspiring. Alice Greenough, daughter of “Packsaddle Ben” Greenough, grew up in the turn-of-the- century Montana wilderness where she did all the things her brothers did; Mary Elizabeth Bowser, a young black woman, worked with Elizabeth Van Lew, a middle-aged white woman, as spies for the Union army; Lilac Chen, a former prostitute in 19th- century San Francisco, tells how her own father sold her into slavery in China when she was only 6; and Yvonne “Eve” Blue, an obviously anorexic 14-year-old, maintained her gaunt frame by limiting herself to 140 calories a day—in 1926. These and dozens of other fascinating people offer more insight into gender roles better than any history text or sociological treatise, in lively writing that is greatly enhanced by page after page of black-and-white photographs, an extensive list of further reading, and a good index. A must-have for most collections. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-590-37129-0

Page Count: 192

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON AND SUSAN B. ANTHONY
by Penny Colman

- BOOK REVIEW
THANKSGIVING
by Penny Colman

- BOOK REVIEW
WHERE THE ACTION WAS
by Penny Colman

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CAREER IDEAS FOR KIDS WHO LIKE MATH

by Diane Lindsey Reeves ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

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paper 0-8160-4096-6 Even those readers not necessarily seeking a career guide will find this an enlightening introduction to math-oriented, math- dependent jobs of many kinds. Reeves leads off with a lengthy self-test to help readers determine whether a career in mathematics is appropriate. She subsequently covers 15 careers, ranging from actuary work to urban planning, giving a general description of each occupation, a list of fascinating websites, and a profile of someone who actually does each particular job. The chapters are followed by a list of careers in science, health, aviation, and more, all requiring a degree of proficiency in math. Finally, a working plan is laid out, to help readers organize the steps necessary to break into and thrive in their chosen fields. Plenty of useful information has been packed into this book, written in a lively and interesting manner that will engage browsers as well as those gazing into the future. (b&w drawings and photographs, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)