Even if the book becomes a bit of a salmagundi, one page or another will find a follower.
A gallimaufry of goodies about hockey.
It is possible that hockey has the greatest range of enthusiasts. It has crossed gender and race lines (though neither is given sufficient page space here), and it is way up there in the cosmopolitan makeup of its rosters. The result is that when you throw together a grab bag of hockey angles, you are going to draw from a wide pool of buffs to fanatics. The then-and-now aspect to this collection is a nifty approach, depicting changes in equipment, uniforms, styles of play, etc., in themed double-page spreads. Eye-catching photographs appear throughout, though the writing could use some pizzazz: “An avid animal lover, the Sharks’ defenseman frequently visits zoos on road trips.” Readers will sit agog that players wore wool jerseys and didn’t wear helmets (and had the scars and the empty gums to prove it) and that goalies went without masks. Changes in tactics and game play help readers follow the action on the ice. As the book approaches the end, it loses its focus. Card collecting has its place, but difference in player size now and then seems arbitrary, if not pointless—a 7-foot defenseman is hardly a typical player—and playoff beards…well, if that’s what blows your hair back, so be it.
Even if the book becomes a bit of a salmagundi, one page or another will find a follower. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68330-011-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Sports Illustrated Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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
BOOK REVIEW
This absorbing history examines the lives and work of eight innovators in the design and manufacture of musical instruments. From Avedis Zildjian, who brought his family’s centuries-old cymbal-making business from Turkey to Boston, to Robert Moog, whose electronic synthesizer rocked the music world, VanHecke’s portraits celebrate the inquisitive scientific tinkering, dedication to craft and business moxie that rendered Steinway pianos, Hammond organs and Fender guitars both household names and performers’ favorites. The writing’s freshest when VanHecke changes it up with bits of cultural trivia, like Beatles lore. (It’s dullest when awash in the minutiae of cousins, marriages and succession.) Examining the effect of the Great Depression, the World Wars and immigration on these family businesses vibrantly contextualizes those issues for kids. Numerous well-captioned photos and period illustrations, sidebars and clearly labeled diagrams of the musical instruments expertly extend the text. Students and teachers of music are the natural audience for this unique treatment. (introduction, endnote, quotation sources, bibliographies, websites, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59078-574-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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