Gr 3-6—In Cheer Captain, Julia wants to become captain of the cheerleading squad at her new middle school. However, she worries that if she does, it could harm her friendship with Ava, another cheerleader and a friend. In Drive to the Hoop, Mel is also new in town. She has a chance to move up from the freshman basketball team to JV, but this upsets the other freshman players. Mel, like Julia, wonders if she can form friendships while being successful in her sport. Both easy chapter books deal with popularity and competition from a female perspective, which is a nice niche to fill. Unfortunately, the stories are contrived, and the illustrations are poorly executed. These hi/lo titles are extremely formulaic but are likely to circulate and could be considered for larger collections.—Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler – or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps – literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers. ¿Quién es Jake Maddox? ¿Atleta, autor, viajero mundial o los tres? Ha surfeado en Hawái, buceado en Australia y escalado las montañas de Perú y Alaska. Sus libros abarcan desde los deportes de equipo más populares hasta actividades al aire libre, aventuras de supervivencia e incluso carreras de autos. Sus hazañas han inspirado a numerosos escritores a seguir sus pasos, ¡literalmente! Cada una de sus historias está marcada por el trabajo en equipo, el juego limpio y un fuerte sentido de autoestima y disciplina. Siempre un jugador de equipo, Maddox se da cuenta de que se necesita más de una persona para crear un libro lo suficientemente bueno para un joven lector. Espera que las lecciones aprendidas en la cancha, el campo o la arena y el ritmo de velocista campeón de sus libros puedan motivar a los niños a convertirse en mejores atletas y lectores de por vida.
