I haven't really reviewed too many non-fiction books that have high-interest content for MG audiences, have I?
Time to correct that. This is a book my son found at the library and devoured. I have mentioned he's a "baller," right? I read it, as well, and it's a fascinating look at the history of modern basketball teams. Not the business side of the sport, but the players, the style of play, and the way the finals played out in each decade.
It starts in the 60s, so there's no mention of the travel, African-American team pioneers, the Globetrotters, or other teams that challenged and played predominantly white teams in the 50s.
However, all the great players are in there, with a unifying theme for each decade. There are brief bios of the big players of each decade, and recaps of how the finals played out. There is mention of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in Hershey, PA, which my father saw and described to my son, who thought grandpa was just pulling his leg (Pop Pop does a LOT of leg pulling!), until he read about it!
My son, of course, focused on the chapter with recent basketball history, and the way Golden State and Steph Curry revolutionized the game.
Parents: Ok, this is my one time veering from book reviews to recommend a product, in this case a class. If you haven't given the gift of a Steph Curry Masterclass to your aspiring ball-player, I highly recommend it. It's a bit pricey ($90), but Curry's approach of disciplined practice resonated exceptionally well with us. Your baller will have a year to complete the shooting drills, videos, keep stats and chart progress. And it works, too.
The second book is inspiring, particularly for women looking for ways to go to college and have it paid for through sports. The author chooses fencing, because at the time there weren't many women fencers, although she's never at a loss for competitors. But there were no others who wore the hijab. Although the author graduated from an Ivy League school in 2008, at the height of the Great Recession, and at one point worked for a dollar store, she pursed her passion relentlessly and by her 30s went to the Olympics. An all-around inspiring sports story!
The third book was a riveting read, but then, I've always dreamed of space travel (the easy, sci-fi kind). Reality is a lot harder, but Kelly's woven a tale that's easy to read and inspiring at the same time. There are pictures sprinkled throughout, and it's a fantastic read!
Kelly mentions reading two specific books that make a deep impression on him - The Right Stuff and a book about doomed polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of my favorite histories of all time!
