Really Good Quick Reads About Sports!

Hooo--eeee! This has been the busiest summer that the Iron Guy can remember. Things have been moving faster around here than the Millennium Falcon in hyperdrive. That's why I haven't posted anything lately. Fortunately, there are some really good, short and interesting books out there--what I call Good Quick Reads--and I have a few for you. Plus, in keeping with my Manly resolution for this year, they're about sports! How could it be any better?

The first is The Carolina Panthers Story, one in a new set of books about NFL teams. (sorry, but there's no picture of the cover) It's short, has lot of photos, a glossary of football terms, a website to learn more about each team, recommended books about each team and information the team's about great players, its history and even what the fans are like! There's a lot of good stuff here but not a lot of text (a fancy grownup term for the amount of words on a page), so these books would be good for younger reader guys, especially third or even second graders. It's good, it's quick and it's very interesting, even for this Charlotte guy who's followed the team from the beginning. I also read The Seattle Seahawks Story, The San Diego Chargers Story, The Jacksonville Jaguars Story, and the Atlanta Falcons Story. (booo! to the Dirty Birds, the big rival to the Panthers)

All these books follow the same format and, what's even better, the information is current! (another fancy grownup word which means "actually up-to-date and not 20 years old") Sports books are great but the problem is that things change so fast in the sports world that, by the time a book comes out, a team star could have left, a major player got traded or the whole team could have moved to another city! These books came out this year, so the information really is current. So that means you should run right out the door and get these books now. (PS--all the NFL teams are covered in this series, so if you have a favorite team or want to learn about one you didn't know about, there will be a book for you)

The second is The Best NFL Quarterbacks of All Time by Natt Scheff. Hmmm, this sounds like a title that could stir up a bunch of arguments! Well, this book provides a reasons why these guys really could be considered the best. It talks about 14 great quarterbacks, all the way from Otto Graham in the 1950's to Terry Bradshaw to Steve Young to Brett Farve down to Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Each section is only 4 pages but gives lots of good information about why each guy was great. For instance, who was the quarterback that was a 17-round draft pick but went on to win the first two Super Bowls? Who was called "Captain Comeback" and why did he earn that name? And why was Warren Moon, who never won a Super Bowl, so important to the game and many of today's quarterbacks? It's a very good read and there is also a recommended site, a glossary, recommended books and a list of quarterbacks who didn't make the list but are Honorable Mentions. (Will Cam Newton make the list one day? We'll see!) Go get this book too. You'll really enjoy it and will have plenty of info when someone asks, "Who really were the greatest?"

Fun, Weird and True Sports Facts

Second day of June greetings, everyone! It's a new month, so the Iron Guy thought he'd get back to his resolution of telling you about more sports books. And I've got a couple of doozies today! These are great fun and you can read them quickly. (they're what I call Good Quick Reads) Both of them are about weird and funny facts from sports and many of them will either make you laugh or shake your head and say, "No! Not possible! Nooo! Noooooo!!!" Or maybe you'll do both.

The first one is from the famous Dan Gutman, who has not only written the My Weird School series but is also a big sports fan. And here he combines both in one book. It's My Weird School Fast Facts: Sports. In this one, A. J. and Andrea tell us amazing but absolutely true brief stories and facts from baseball, football, basketball, hockey and other sports. For example, you could find out:

• Which sport was played on the moon?
• Why do NASCAR drivers lose 10-15 pounds during each race?
• What country trained bears to play hockey?
• Who was the shortest NBA player ever? (hint--he used to play for the Charlotte Hornets!)

If you like My Weird School (and what guy doesn't?), like to learn new things (and what guy doesn't?) and have a lot of fun (ditto), then you need to find this book!

Then we have the National Geographic Kids Weird but True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletes book. It has a much simpler format--pages with eye-catching graphics or photos and on or three odd and fun sports facts on each page. And what wacky facts you'll learn!

• "You can watch ostrich races in South Africa"
• "Runner Fauja Singh completed a marathon at the age of 101"
• "U.S. Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were all former cheerleaders" (you'll also learn that all cheerleaders used to be guys!)

And wait until you see the photo of the guy riding a unicycle on the Great Wall of China!
So, guys, check these out, have a few chuckles and find out some things you never knew before!

PS--there is one inacuracy. The National Geographic book says that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. That story is an often-repeated myth. The truth is that 15-year Michael was only 5'10" and too short to make the varsity team, so he went on the JV team. The next year, however, he had a 4-inch growth spurt and make the varsity team. And after that, of course, went on to make basketball history. So if you don't believe something in one of these books, go and do the research. That's what MANLY MEN do!

Three More Terrific Books About Sports!

First day of April greetings, everyone! This is no fooling--I've got three really, really good sports books to tell you about. And what a great time of year for sports! Major League Baseball begins today. The NFL draft comes up soon. Hockey is still going on. I'm sure you've seen your schools' soccer teams play. The NBA regular season is winding down but the NCAA Final Four is on tonight! Of  course, the Iron Guy must maintain his strict impartiality about the Final Four games (Go Tarheels!) but, in the spirit of fairness, I hope that all teams play well (Go Tarheels!!) and may the best team win.

GO TARHEELS!!!

Ahem, as I was saying, I just read a truly terrific book about basketball. It's Legends: The Best Players, Games and Teams in Basketball by Howard Bryant. Wow! What a great book! It's so good that I'm bending one of my rules. I haven't actually finished it--I'm about three-quarters through--but it's so very great that I just have to tell you about it.

Why do we love sports, people? For the same reason we love movies--the drama, the excitement, the fun! In sports, as in movies, there are moments of suspense, dynamic action, and humor. There are unexpected endings and sudden changes in the story. There is the buzzer-beater shot, the impossible catch, the  quick-as-lightning steal or the come-from-behind victory. Sports has dynasties that dominate and underdogs that defeat those dynasties. And sports provide us with a lot of ways to bond. Guys (and girls, too!) have gotten close with their parents, their siblings and their friends through endless discussions about who's the best, why my team is better than yours and what would have happened if...

And nobody captures that drama, excitement and fun better than Howard Bryant. This book on basketball is full of great and terrific stories (plus fascinating facts) such as:

• The 1970 Finals with Willis Reed and the Knicks, a story that should be a movie
• How "Dr J". changed the way basketball is played today
• The rival basketball league that also changed how basketball is played 
• The epic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
• And, of course, the unbelievable 2016 Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers

Plus there are facts that I, a long-time basketball fan, didn't know

• There was a time when coaches hated slam dunks!
• Michael Jordan almost didn't make his high school varsity team because he wasn't tall enough!

And, when you're through, you could argue whether Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain or Oscar Robertson was the best player ever. (maybe we could add LeBron James or Steph Curry to that discussion one day)

If you're any kind of sports fan, you need to rush on down to your library and check this out. And if you're  not, you still need to rush on down because you'll find plenty high drama and excitement and fun in this book. Howard Bryant is a very good writer and he's given us one fine book.





And he has done the same for baseball in Legends: The Best Players, Games and Teams in Baseball
and football in Legends: The Best Players, Games and Teams in Football. (see my review of that book here)





Am I excited? You bet! That's why I've given this book (and the other two)--

The Iron Guy Seal of Approval as Terrific Books

It's Monday--What Am I Reading? Sports Books, Of Course!

There's a great meme out there called It's Monday--What Are You Reading? in which a lot of kidlit bloggers talk about what they are currently reading or have read in the last week. (you can find out more at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers) The Iron Guy has been so busy lately that he hasn't had a chance to review anything but he hates to go a long time without talking to you, so here are a few things I'm looking at now:

Legends: The Best Players, Teams and Games in Basketball by Howard Bryant

It's March and the thoughts of young men, middle-aged men, boys and old geezers turn to BASKETBALL! The regional tournaments have just finished and the Madness is about to begin, so what subject could be better than roundball? I've read the first chapter and it's really good--among other things, it talks about Wilt Chamberlain, the only player to have scored 100 points in a single game. And this was in days before three points shots! I've read Mr. Bryant's books about football and baseball, enjoyed them a lot and I think I'll enjoy this one too.



Soccer and Soccer on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne

All guys, especially younger reader guys, know how addicting The Magic Tree House books are. Ms. Osborne has also written some nonfiction books to go along with them. I read the Soccer book and learned a lot. Can't wait to read the Soccer on Sunday book because it's about Pele, soccer's greatest star.





OK, everyone, this is my check in. Now tell me--what are YOU reading? The Iron Guy and all the other reader guys out there want to know! Hit that Comment button under this post and let us know.

Good Quick Reads About Sports

Hey there, guys and sports fans everywhere, this is Iron Guy Carl with a bunch of good books that are fun, interesting (even informative) and don't take very long to finish. I call books like that Good Quick Reads.
Ever since our good friend Ms. Yingling challenged book bloggers to talk more about sports books, the Iron Guy decided to take her up on that challenge. In fact, he even made it a New Year's resolution. So here are my first offerings for 2017:

Free Throw by Jake Maddox--Last year Jason was the tallest kid on the Hampton Hornets and was the star player. But this year, Derek grew five inches and is now the tallest. Coach gives him the center position but now, when Derek has open shots, Jason won't pass the ball to him. And now Derek can't hit his free throws and Jason keeps reminding him about it. Could the team win with all this going on?

Who Is Wayne Gretzky? by Gail Herman, illustrated by Ted Hammond

All guys seem to love the Who Was... or Who Is... series of biographies. And there's a good reason! They are always interesting, always quick to read and always have stories that really draw you in. And they often talk about amazing people. Like Wayne Gretzky. He was a truly incredible athlete, setting unbelievable records. Find out how young he was when he first started skating, why he was called "The Great One," and why he gave the Stanley Cup trophy to another player in 1987.






Who Is Muhammed Ali? by James Buckley, Jr. and illustrated by Stephen Marchesi

Everyone knows about the man who could "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." He lived an epic life, achieving victories no one thought possible, losing it all when he refused to sign up for the Vietnam War and making comeback after comeback. It's a great story and, even if you think you know a lot about him, like the Iron Guy who lived through that whole era, you'll still find out things you never knew! (PS--this book came out in 2014 and Ali has died since then. The book cover you see has been updated in the library's system)







Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet by Jonah Winter, illustrated by C. F. Payne

This is an extremely short biography (I read it in about 15 minutes) but, wow, what an impact it had on me! Mickey Mantle set records that have not been broken to this day! But he didn't start out with many advantages--in fact, his home was a "tiny shack with ten people, three beds and no indoor plumbing." Yet he was asked to join the New York Yankees, the greatest team of that time, when he was 16! He was too young, of course, but joined when he was old enough--then an accident happened that affected him for life. What was it? Oh, man, you've got to read this story to find out!

Boys, if you want to read some terrific stories, here they are. Grownups, if you're looking for books for boys who say they don't like to read, hand them one of these. I guarantee you, you will not be disappointed!

The Boys in the Boat--You GOTTA Read This!

HEY GUYS!!

I was going to write an intro about how I've been too busy lately to review anything or about school starting back but I'm going to skip all that because I've just finished a really terrific book and can't wait any longer to tell you about it.

It's The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown. What a great read!! What a great story!! And it's all true.

The book centers around Joe Rantz, a boy growing up in the Seattle/Sequim area of Washington state in the 1920's. His family life was happy but tragedy struck over and over. He got very sick and couldn't leave his room for a long time. Then he lost his mom. His dad remarried after a while and things seemed to settle back to normal.

Then the Great Depression hit.

Times became very hard and his family left him because they couldn't afford to keep him. He was alone at 15. To survive, he foraged in the woods and did what work he could, including cutting trees. Of course, he didn't want to keep living like this and scraped together enough money over the years to pay for his first year at the University of Washington. If he could get on the university's rowing team, he could get a job to pay for his living expenses. All those years of cutting trees had given him the upper body strength needed for rowing and he made the team.

The work was hard. Rowing may look easy but it takes unbelievable amounts of of concentration and stamina. But the coach saw something special in Joe and his team mates--so special that he believed they could be in the 1936 Olympics. And they did. But, on the day of the race, everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. The team was in dead last place. With Hitler watching. Could they even finish the race? Could they still win?

I won't tell you the answer but I will tell you this--you will hold your breath, grip your chair---and then you just won't believe what happens!!

Boys, I can't begin to say how great this book is. There are just too many good things to say about it. The only way you'll find out is to go and check it out for yourselves. But you will be SO glad you did! This is one of those rare and wonderful stories that will stay with you the rest of your lives. Go find it! The library has plenty of copies. You gotta read this book. YOU GOTTA READ THIS BOOK! Did I say it enough? You gotta what? Read this book!!


PS--this is kid-friendly version of a grownup book. The publishers condensed the original version from 404 to 220 pages and added some photos and cool information in the back so that younger readers could enjoy the story and not get bogged down in slower passages. It's a good idea; there was a kid-friendly version of a book about Stubby the War Dog a couple of years ago. (check out my review here) I read both the grownup and younger versions and actually liked the kid-friendly version better!

It Has Begun (a Blast From the Past)

What has begun? March Madness, Baayyybeee!!! Oh, I just love this time of year! This is one event that never, ever fails to thrill and surprise. Every year there are close, down-to-the last-few-seconds games. Every year the great players show why they're great and unknown players achieve greatness. Every year some low-seeded team upsets a big-name giant. And, because of that, my brackets go right out the---

 

Yep, I had Duke going to the final game (against Virginia) and NC State going a couple of rounds. Good thing my guys from Carolina won last night. It's pretty obvious I'm an ACC fan, right?

Anyway, in honor of March Madness, I'm going to do a Blast From the Past and repost something I've written before. This time it's a review of two good nonfiction books about playing the roundball game that I wrote back in June 2013.

"These are good, basic books about how to play the game. Fundamental Basketball covers everything from the history of the game to how to shoot jump shots to the size of the backboard! Basketball Step by Step

also covers the basics of scoring, equipment, players and court and the different team positions. But, more importantly, it shows how the techniques of offensive and defensive play by giving multiple photographs that demonstrate each move step by step.Both would be useful for the novice player or the veteran looking to sharpen his (or her) skills. Really recommended."

OK, guys, get these books, practice your free throws and cheer for your team!

Basketball!

The Iron Guy loves sports, especially when it takes an epic turn like the 2013 NBA playoffs. I have no idea

who'll win tonight but you just gotta love the thrill of the game! Basketball is a high-speed, high-intensity game that is just right for GUYS. So, in the spirit of the roundball, here are basketball books that are just right for GUYS!

Fundamental Basketball by Jim and Mike Klinzing and

  Basketball Step-by-Step by Brian Burns and Mark Dunning

These are good, basic books about how to play the game. Fundamental Basketball covers everything from the history of the game to how to shoot jump shots to the size of the backboard! Basketball Step-By-Step also covers the basics of scoring, equipment, players and court and the different team positions. But, more importantly, it shows how the techniques of offensive and defensive play by giving multiple photographs that demonstrate each move step by step.Both would be useful for the novice player or the veteran looking to sharpen his (or her) skills. Really recommended.

Derrick Rose by Michael Sandler

Here's a story about one of the good guys of basketball. Nothing could keep Derrick away from the roundball as a boy, playing even after sundown when there were no lights or after breaking his arm climbing a tree. He went to the University of Memphis and helped the Tigers reach the 208 NCAA championship game. That was also the year the Chicago Bulls drafted him as the # 1 pick. But even with all his success, he remained humble and did good things, like helping kids in his old  poverty-stricken Chicago neighborhood or donate money for earthquake victims in Haiti. (he once pledged to donate $1000 for each point he scored in a game and raised $32,000!) This is a good, quick and inspirational read and a good book for anyone who loves sports or stories of the good guys. (The only problem is that it came out in 2012 and doesn't mention the last year he's been out with his injury--but don't let that stop you. It's still a good read)

The Basket Counts by Matt Christopher

Matt Christopher wrote a lot of books about sports and every one I've read has been good. This one is about a middle school basketball team. Mel Jessen is new to the school. He's also one of the few African-American kids in the school. One of the other kids won't pass to him even when he's in the open. This team has a good chance to win the season--will this other guy get over it for the good of the team? And will the coach intervene or just ignore the situation? This is another good quick read. Matt Christopher makes every game exciting, especially the season's final game. And this book was written way back in the day when prejudice was more common. It's hard to believe now that it was such a problem--or is it still a problem? Have any of you reader guys encountered it? Or do you see it on your teams?

OK, guys (and Heat and Spurs), play hard and let me know what you think about these books!

October's Here and That Means---

---Sports!!!!

Yes, indeed, this is a great time of year because it's the month when the big three of sports converge--football, basketball and baseball. Football has been going on already; in fact, it's one-quarter of the way through the season. We in Charlotte have been watching our beloved Panthers struggle (pleeeaasseee don't get me started on last Sunday's game) but you'll find most of us glued to our sets every time they play. The Charlotte Bobcats start playing this month. OK--if you want to get technical, those are preseason games, but still, it's basketball! And it's hard to believe that, in this month of cool weather and falling leaves, there's still baseball. The World Series will be upon us in about three weeks. Now it seems to me that baseball is always associated with summer and should stop when things turn cold. But, doesn't matter--baseball is still the great iconic American sport. I just love reading about its colorful history and its larger-than-life characters.  Here are a couple of really good books about the early days the official sport of summer.

Ball Park: The Story of America's Baseball Fields
Written and illustrated by Lynn Curlee


You can watch baseball on TV but there's nothing like actually seeing a game in a real ballpark. This fascinating and beautifully-illustrated book gives a history of baseball parks from their very beginning. Find out why each ballpark is unique and why there is no standard way to build them. There's also a lot of interesting things to learn--the history of baseball, when New York was the "capital of baseball," how baseball invented Astroturf, and which pre-WWI ballparks are still around. This is  a very interesting read.


Heroes of Baseball: The Men Who Made It America's Favorite Game by Robert Lipstye

Here's another great book about the history of baseball, full of stories of the giants of the game. And what stories they are! The chapters on Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson Mickey Mantle are terrific in themselves but there's a lot more. Find out why Ty Cobb was one the greatest players ever and why no one liked him,who was A. G. Spalding (and why we still see that name on sports equipment), who was "The Clown Prince of Baseball," which records will never be broken, and what Yogi Berra's real name is! This is one terrific book, guaranteed to keep you turning page after page. If you're a rabid fan or if you've never been to a game, this is one you should NOT pass up! In fact, this book gets--

  The Iron Guy Seal of Approval as One Terrific Book!

That's some of the nonfiction about baseball. I'll write a post soon on baseball fiction and then some books on football and basketball. Stay tuned, sports and reading fans!

How Football Works by Keltie Thomas

This is a great time of year to be a sports fan. You've got college football, pro football, college basketball and...well, we usually have NBA basketball now too, but this year it will be--different. (Don't get me started on that!) Anyway, Charlotte is a great place to be a sports fan. We've got the Panthers for football, the Checkers for minor-league hockey, and the Bobcats for pro basketball--that is, now that we finally get basketball! (Don't get me started again!) Plus, North Carolina has one the great roundball rivalries of all time--Duke and Carolina. So this is a good time of year to tell you about a really good book called How Football Works by Keltie Thomas.

It's only 64 pages long but it's chock-full of information and fun facts. You can find out about the basics of football--how it started, how the ball got its shape, what the playing positions are, etc. Then you can find out more, like information on the football field (how do they keep grass green in winter?) or what it takes to be a quarterback (you have to amazingly smart as well as strong) or just how much equipment a player wears (it's a LOT!) On top of that, there are very interesting sidebars, timelines, and a recurring section called Legends of the Game. This is an extremely interesting book and every football fan should check it out. If you're brand-new to the game, you'll learn what football is all about. If you're a long-time fan, you'll find out things you never knew. Either way, this book is a big-time winner. I was lucky enough to get a copy from the very nice people at Owl Kids Press, but you could find one at your local library. So hut one, hut two--make that run and get it!
(PS--there's even a sidebar about the Panthers's own DeAngelo Williams!)

This book get the Iron Guy Seal as ONE TERRIFIC BOOK!

A Book for Tough Times--or for Good Times

HAPPY NEW YEAR, all you rollin' rockin', readin' guys out there! This is about a week late, but the Iron Guy has been busy lately, reading good books for guys and coming up with New Year's resolutions. (More about that next week!) But right now I want to talk about a good book for times like these. 2010 was a rough year for a lot of people--including the library. Everyone hopes 2011 will be better but, even so, it could be a year in which we need a lot of inspiration. So what better way to start off this year with a review of a good and inspiring book? That would be Heart of a Student Athlete: All-Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families by Karl Mecklenburg.

Mr. Mecklenburg was NFL player for the Denver Broncos. He was an all-pro captain and went to three Super Bowls. Yet he was not born under a lucky star; he was 310th pick in the NFL draft and had to overcome a lot of obstacles to play pro ball. He achieved his dreams, though--in fact, he exceeded them by a very long shot. In this book he shares the six keys to success. What are they? Well, you'll just have to read it to to find out! But you'll have a good time as you do! Karl Mecklenburg doesn't just give a lot of advice, he tells stories from his life and his NFL career, including:

• How crazy some cities can be over their teams (read the section about the Broncos going to Cleveland!)
• What it's like to play in the Super Bowl (and why the actual game is sort of an anticlimax)
• The good guys of the NFL--you always hear about the bad boys, but, in the very first chapter, Karl Mecklenburg talks about the good things his teammates have done since retiring from the NFL
• The Zone--why all the hard work pays off

I enjoyed this book. The advice is solid and the stories are interesting. The book isn't perfect; there were a couple of places when he talked about some of his games and I had trouble understanding what happened. But these are minor flaws in a really good book. (Besides, I got this book as an advanced reading copy--which means that a very nice publisher sent it to me before the book came out--and those flaws may have been corrected) If you're into football, if you're not into football, or if you're a guy trying to figure out what life is about, this book is very much worth your time.
PS--Since Charlotte is in Mecklenburg county, how could I not like a book by Karl Mecklenburg!

Listen Up, Guys, You'll Like These Books!

Do you guys remember how I told you about the Percy Jackson books? Aren't you glad I did? Well, here's another series I'm excited about and I bet you'll get excited about them too. It's the Barnstormers series by Loren Long and Phil Bildner. They're great--they've got suspense, magic, baseball, danger, creepy bad guys--in short, everything you'd want in a book! I've written about the first two on 3-19-08 and 4-1-08 and I've just finished the third, so I'll tell you about all three of them at once.

It's about the Payne family; the three kids Griffith, Ruby, Graham and their mom. Where's the father? He didn't come back from the Spanish-American War (the books are set in 1899) The father's friends from the war (they were all in Colonel Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders) formed a baseball team called the Travelin' Nine. They plan to go around the country and play exhibition games in order to raise money for the Payne family, who owes ten thousand dollars! The father left them his baseball, but when the kids put their hands on it, strange things, and I mean really strange things, happen during the games. Could the baseball be magic? And who is this creepy guy called The Chancellor and why does Uncle Owen tell the kids to beware of him? Why does Uncle Owen tell them that they are in very great danger, particularly young Graham? And, whatever they do, don't let the Chancellor know about the ball!!!You got to read these books!!! They'll suck you into the story and make you want to get the next one right away!!

There are three books in the series so far:




The series is divided into "Games". The first book is Game 1: Porkopolis







The second is Game 2: The River City







And the third is Game 3: The Windy City



This third book ends up with a real cliffhanger--Griffith, the oldest boy, finds the family in the worst situation possible! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??? Fortunately, there will be at least three more books, but the fourth one won't be out until spring of '09! Now I have to wait ANOTHER WHOLE YEAR to find out! I guess all you Harry Potter fans had to go through the same thing. It's a good thing there are a lot of other good books out there to keep me occupied until then.

Carl

Back From the Beach

And, man, did I have a good time! North Myrtle Beach is a really cool and fun place. How fun is it? Check this out: This place is so much fun that the food seasons itself! And no one cares what you look like:

Of course, there is always some one trying to spoil the fun. The evil Sith Emperor sent his Killer Seagulls after me...

...but look, I'm not afraid. Even as they swooped in to attack, I stood firm and laughed in the face of danger because I had my secret inter-dimensional, ultra-sonic, hyper-phasic weapon handy......in other words, I had some leftover french fries to throw them.

Well, enough of this. I did get to finish the second Barnstormers book before I left and it was fantastic!!! It's called Game 2: The River City and continues the story from Game 1: Porkopolis (see the post from March 20) The Payne family has moved from to Louisville, Kentucky, the River City with their baseball team, the Travelin' Nine, to play another exhibiton game and raise money. Strange things start happening again in the middle of the game, but the Payne kids realize that those weird things are connected with their father's baseball, which really is magic. If they learn to use the ball, the team could win. Can they do it? And why does their Uncle Owen tell them to "Beware the Chancellor" and "Don't let him find out about the baseball"? Could it have something to do with the "great danger" he warned them about? And why do mysterious people suddenly appear and then are gone when the kids try to talk to them? Mystery, suspense, sports, magic--this book has it all!! Go read it!!

There's some exciting things to tell you about the March Madness of Books contest, but I'm too busy right to write about it now.
Stay tuned, keep writing, and send in those 3-pointers!
Carl

It's March Madness, Baybeee!!!

Yes, it's March, one of my favorite months of the year. It brings the best month-long sports event of the year, March Madness, the college basketball tournament. For a whole glorious month, there are games, games, and more games. The tension mounts as schools win and lose, getting ever closer to the championship. There is almost always one major upset. There is almost always some Cinderella team who goes much farther than expected. The road to the Final Four is always exciting and the championship game keeps me up late every year. Plus, living in Charlotte, NC, we get to see the great ACC (Atlantic coast Conference) tournament. Great teams live in this conference--Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Boston College, etc.

So, this month, we thought we'd hold a March Madness of Reading. The rules are simple--the two boys who send in the most comments talking about books will win prizes. First Place will be an autographed T-shirt from the UNCC 49'ers Mens' Basketball team! Second place will be an autographed UNCC 49'rs Men's Basketball poster! Sound good? It could be yours if you send us the most book comments by March 31.We will announce the winners on April 1. Come to Imaginon to claim your prize. (If you live outside the Charlotte area, we will find a way to get the prize to you)

There's one other rule--at least one of the books you talk about must be about sports. It could be any sport and it could be a chapter book, biography, or nonfiction. And in case of a tie, we will look more favorably on the one who has sent more reviews about sports books. OK??? Get writing!! We can't wait to hear from you!

And I'll lead by example. Here are three books I've liked and some others we've written about before.

Free Throw by Jake Maddox. Jason was the center and star player last year, but Derek became an inch taller since then. Now he's the center and Jason doesn't like it. What's worse, the games depend on Derek's free throw shooting. Jason doesn't think Derek can make them. Maybe Derek doesn't thinks so, either. Will he save the games or ruin them? You've got to read this short but fast-paced and exciting book to find out.


Paintball Blast by Jake Maddox. Max Hauser knows the perfect lookout point in the paintball field. From the correct angle, no one can mark him. But one of the new kids does! Max knows he must be cheating--but how? Another fast-paced and exciting short book with a bit of a mystery thrown in. Both books have intersting things about their sports at the end of the books.

The New York Yankeesby Mark Stewart. I remember the glory days of Mickey Mantle and exciting World Series matches of the Yankees vs. the Cardinals (the teachers even brought radios into our classrooms because the pitcher for the Cardinals was Tim McCarver from Memphis, where I lived in those days) But you know what? The glory days of the yankees are still going. This book traces the history of the team that has won more World Series than any other from their beginnings in Baltimore in 1901 until today. Really interesting with lots of good baseball and Yankees information.

Books we've already reviewed:

Nothing But Net by Dean Hughes Good basketball story. Check out my review in Bookhive here.

Jim Thorpe's Bright Path by Joseph Bruchac (reviewed on 8-25-07) and Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crowe (reviewed on 2-15-08) Incredible true stories of great athletes. Don't miss these!

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Greek Athlete: Races You'd Rather Not Run by Michael Ford (reviewed on 1-11-08) The real deal on the ancient Greek Olympics with funny illustrations!

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso (reviewed 2-28-08) Another great true story--this time in a graphic novel!

All right, let's hear from you! AND--watch out for Bill's special game related to this contest this month!
Carl

Throw That Pass! Run Those Bases! Rah Rah Read!

Hey, guys, didn't Spider-Bill make an awesome post? I have to agree that Cowboy and Octopus is one of the most unusal books of the year. It will make you laugh. Well, since it's the time of year when football and baseball are going on at the same time, I want tell you about a couple of sports books.

The first is Long-Arm Quarterback by Matt Christopher. I hope you know about him already. He writes sports books and I haven't read one yet that I didn't like. Cap Wadell is frustrated because his little Texas town is so small that they can't get enough guys together to make a football team. His grandfather Tully remembers when he was in high school and played with six-person teams; in fact, there was a high school league made of six-person teams. Tully suggests that all the small towns in that area get together and make such a league. Cap's friends get excited at the idea and, before long, there's a league going. Tully agrees to coach Cap's team but there's a problem--Cap's friend Jimmy joins the team. That's not so bad, but Jimmy's grandfather Sable comes along to help coach. Sable used to play on Tully's league on a different team and was a good player. Tully won the championship that year and Sable is still mad about it after all these years. Will that old rivalry tear the team apart? Will Sable ever put his anger away and think about the good of the team? I had to read all the way to the end to find out!

The other is Hey Batta Batta SWING!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball by Sally Cook and James Charlton (great illustrations by Ross McDonald). Did you know that baseball goes way, way back, even to the days of the Civil War? This book talks about baseball from the 1880's to the early days of the 20th Century. There were no pitching mounds in those times. A runner off base could be put out by being hit with the ball. Ow! You'll learn this and other interesting things in this book--like how Babe Ruth got his nickname or why players would put hot sauce on the other team's ball.

OK, guys, hope you cheer your favorite team this weekend and remember to write in if you want to see me in a dress!

Carl