Len Berman

Gr 3-7-This book is chock-full of bloopers and bizarre happenings. The yarns are grouped by sport, with short chapters devoted to football, baseball, soccer, basketball, and a catch-all at the end. Berman, a well-known sportscaster, writes as he speaks, and his jovial style will engage reluctant readers. While most of the stories involve bungles and missteps from the past decade, a fair amount of unusual sports history from the 20th century is sprinkled in, especially in the chapter devoted to the Olympics. The book's appeal is not limited to sports lovers. Berman does a nice job of explaining the basic rules of each game, and the final chapter deals with decidedly nontraditional competitions including eat-offs and pulling trucks with one's ears. Throughout, Gamble's caricaturelike drawings maintain the light tone. However, sticklers for detail will notice that in the illustrations, numbers on players' uniforms don't always match their actual team numbers. Purchase this volume where there is solid demand for Berman's first collection or where sports almanacs and trivia books are popular.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

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Gr 4-7:�Following the same format he used in [b:The Greatest Moments in Sports|7129641|The Greatest Moments in Sports|Len Berman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347457174s/7129641.jpg|7391786] (Sourcebooks, 2009), Berman offers his take on 25 of the most unexpected victories. From boxing to baseball and football to figure skating, he puts his sportscaster past to good use with lively writing and exciting photographs that place readers right in the middle of the action. Youngsters learn about Billy Mills's surprise win of Olympic Gold for the 10,000 meter run in 1964, and Mexico's Little League World Series win of 1957. Text boxes help break up a somewhat lengthy narrative with fast facts, biographical information, and quick glimpses into the records of the "champions" versus the "underdogs." The accompanying CD offers additional insight from Berman on 10 of the upsets, with snippets of live coverage woven in. While the sports that are included are quite varied, only three of the anecdotes focus on women. Sports are always popular with middle-grade students, and while many may prefer to follow more current events, those who enjoy sports history will appreciate how Berman's enthusiasm comes through in both his writing and in the CD. Purchase this book where the author's first collection has a following.… (meer)