A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Press Sports & Hobbies)

Gr 2-4 -The popular and successful Canadian figure skater gives readers a great deal of information about skating technique and equipment. As an alphabet book, it works reasonably well with the exception of a few weak word choices (e.g., -N is for Needs more practice...And Never give up -&. - and -Y is for You. - There -s a typo for the letter -Q -: -The rink becomes a blur, /your spinning now don -t quit. - The colorful, realistic oil paintings are the book -s best feature. The reading level varies as this is almost two books in one. The rhyming text giving the alphabet is appropriate for K-3 level, while the majority of the text in the sidebars is about a grade three and up reading level in rather small type. Add this to your collection as an -extra - purchase for your skating fans, not as a first choice. Or you may prefer Naia Bray-Moffatt -s "Ice Skating School" (DK, 2004) or Debbi Wilkes -s "The Figure Skating Book" (Firefly, 2000)." -Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.