The Berenstain Bears: Ready, Get Set, Go! By Stan and Jan Berenstain

Title: The Berenstain Bears: Ready, Get Set, Go!

Author: Stan and Jan Berenstain

Illustrator: Berenstains

Sport: Track and field

Publisher: Random House 1988

Pages: 29...picture book...animal fantasy fiction

Grade Level: 1

Synopsis: Papa, Brother, and Sister compete in the Bears' Olympics at their home. Brother and Sister each win different events, but Papa doesn't win any event. They wonder if there is anything that Papa can win. There is...he's the best napper!

Art Rating: 2/5

Book Rating: 3/5

Redeeming Quality: Good, repeatable, friendly, familiar characters. Also the book is chock full of superlatives (good, better, best, etc).

Top Wing by Matt Christopher

Title: Top Wing

Author: Matt Christopher

Illustrator: none

Sport: soccer

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers 1994

Pages: 151...chapter book...fiction

Grade Level: 4

Synopsis:

Art Rating: n/a

Book Rating:

Redeeming Quality:

Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey

Title: Players in Pigtails

Author: Shana Corey

Illustrator: Rebecca Gibbon

Sport: baseball

Publisher: Scholastic Press 2003

Pages: 29...picture book...historical fiction

Grade Level: 3

Synopsis: Katie Casey is not much of a girl. She's not prim and proper, and she doesn't like home ec. But Katie Casey is great at something...baseball! However, Katie is discouraged from playing baseball everywhere she turns. Until one day, a scout approaches Katie about playing in an all-girls baseball league. She accepts the offer and makes a team!

Art Rating: 4/5

Book Rating: 4/5

Redeeming Quality: The book is about the all-girls baseball league, that existed in the 1940s and 1950s. Remember the movie A League of Their Own? I like the fact that Katie isn't the typical girly girl.

Three Cheers for Errol by Babette Cole

Title: Three Cheers for Errol

Author: Babette Cole

Illustrator: Babette Cole

Sport: tennis, football, field hockey, track and field, swimming, boxing

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons 1988

Pages: 24...picture book...animal fantasy fiction

Grade Level: K-2

Synopsis: Errol, the street rat, is not a very smart creature, but he is awesome at sports. He is chosen to represent his school at the Inter-school Ratathalon. However, some of his competitors play a trick on him and he becomes badly injured. Errol gets an interesting idea from some street acrobats and defeats the competition easily.

Art Rating: 2/5

Book Rating: 2/5

Redeeming Quality: Errol is dumb and comes from a bad school, but he still outsmarts the competitors. The illustrations are funny, too.

The Babe and I by David A. Adler

Title: The Babe and I

Author: David A. Adler

Illustrator: Terry Widener

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Gulliver Books Harcourt, Inc. 1999

Pages: 29...picture book...historical fiction

Grade Level: 3

Synopsis: The main character, a boy growing up in 1932 Bronx, begins selling newspapers with his friend Jacob, to help his family survive through the Great Depression. The regular headlines aren't helping the boys sell papers, so they sell papers near Yankee Stadium, shouting out Babe Ruth stats. This technique helps the boys sell papers. One day, the boy unknowingly sells a paper to Babe Ruth, who is dressed in street clothes. The Babe gives the boy $5 for the paper and tells him to keep the change. The boy treats his friend Jacob to a Yankees game, and realizes how much Babe Ruth means to his family.

Art Rating: 4/5

Book Rating: 4/5

Redeeming Quality: The book features stats and facts about Babe Ruth, a baseball great. The book depicts harsh realities of the Great Depression.

Out of the Ballpark by Alex Rodriguez

Title: Out of the Ballpark

Author: Alex Rodriguez

Illustrator: Frank Morrison

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Harper Collins 2007

Pages: 30...picture book...realistic fiction

Grade Level: 2-3

Synopsis: Alex plays little league baseball for the Caribes. Despite making errors in the semifinal game, Alex and his teammates advance to the championship game. Alex prepares all week for the championship game, working on baseball fundamentals. The championship game arrives, and a costly error by Alex puts the Caribes down 4-1. During the last inning, Alex hits a grand slam, helping his team win the championship.


Art Rating: 4/5

Book Rating: 3/5

Redeeming Quality: The book is written by MLB player A-Rod. Candid photos of A-Rod appear at the end of the book.