Guys Read: The Sports Pages

by Jon Scieszka, Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Dan Gutman, Mike Lupica, Anne Ursu, Tim Green, Joseph Bruchac, Jacqueline Woodson

Overview

Ten stories guaranteed to put you in the ring, under the basket, and right behind home plate, from the following perennial all-stars:

Dustin Brown James Brown Joseph Bruchac Chris Crutcher Tim Green Dan Gutman Gordon Korman Chris Rylander Anne Ursu Jacqueline Woodson

with illustrations by Dan Santat

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061963773
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/10/2012
Series:	Guys Read: The Sports Pages , #3
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	26,374
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 7.56(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jon Scieszka is the National Ambassador for Children’s Literature emeritus and the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books for kids, including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Math Curse, Robot Zot!, and the Time Warp Trio series. Jon founded Guys Read to encourage a passion for reading among young boys, with the philosophy that boys love to read most when they are reading things they love. A former elementary school teacher, Jon lives in Brooklyn with his family.

Editorial Reviews

This collection of ten sports stories is the third entry in the Guys Read series, following Guys Read: Funny Business (Walden Pond, 2010/VOYA February 2011) and Guys Read: Thriller (Walden Pond, 2011/VOYA October 2011.) The stories are aimed at middle grade and junior high boys and at reluctant male readers up to high school level. Eight of the stories are by male authors, and there is a noticeable lack of female characters throughout the collection, although "Max Swings for the Fences," by Anne Ursu, one of the two contributions by a female author, features a humorous battle of the sexes. Nine of the ten entries concern the major American team sports: three baseball, three football, and two basketball stories, and an autobiographical essay by NHL hockey player, Dustin Brown. The only coverage of an individual sport is Joseph Bruchac's "Choke," about mixed martial arts. Features include a brief introduction by series editor, Jon Scieszka; a short entry, "About Guys Read," concerning the web-based literacy program founded by Scieszka (of which this book series is one component); short bios about the editor, illustrator, and each of the ten authors; and a full-page, black-and-white illustration at the front of each story. The eight fictional stories are of good quality, as one would expect from the pens of such highly-regarded authors as Chris Crutcher, Gordon Korman, and Jacqueline Woodson. The two autobiographical essays by sports personalities (one previously published) are not as well-written, but may inspire young athletes. The collection is well-designed to engage early teen boys. Reviewer: Walter Hogan

VOYA - Walter Hogan

Who can resist a good sports story? In this latest addition to the popular series, "Guys Read," young readers have the chance to read short stories about athletes in a myriad of sports—from wrestling to running. Some of these stories are completely fictional, while others are life stories of notable athletes. This volume has an element of realism that is missing from many sports stories; young readers will see the faults and failing of athletes, along with the triumphs. Sometimes the hard training and hours of work does not transform the protagonist into a star athlete, but he learns to accept himself for what he is. This volume of short stories features the work of Dustin Brown, James Brown, Joseph Bruchac, Chris Crutcher, Tim Green, Dan Gutman, Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Anne Ursu, and Jacqueline Woodson, with illustrations by Dan Santat. Two stories reference the famous Boston Red Sox Curse, while another story is about a team of sixth graders looking for a stolen trophy. When I opened the volume, I was immediately drawn to the first story, "How I won the World Series" by Dan Gutman, and the book immediately had my undivided attention. This book is highly recommended for boys and girls alike; the stories are realistic, true-to-life, and memorable. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

Children's Literature - Suzanna E. Henshon

Gr 4 Up—In his introduction, Scieszka states, "In keeping with the competitive spirit of sports, here is a collection of the fastest, strongest, funniest, wildest, and best sports stories." But this anthology is uneven and doesn't live up to that claim. It presents 10 short stories by 10 different authors, including Joseph Bruchac, Tim Green, and Gordon Korman plus autobiographical pieces by TV sportscaster James Brown and LA Kings hockey star Dustin Brown. One of the best is Dan Gutman's "How I Won the World Series," which is fun and funny. The same can be said about Anne Ursu's "Max Swings for the Fences," about a boy who claims to be the son of a famous baseball player to impress a girl he likes at his new school. Chris Rylander's "I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter" is another fun tale. In it, a boy who was humiliated on TV when attempting to catch a ball hit into the stands by Derek Jeter comes up with several convoluted plots (including a witch doctor's spell) to "get even" with the Yankee star. Of the two nonfiction choices, James Brown's writing style and emphasis on education is much more impressive than Dustin Brown's. In general, these stories tend to leave readers unsatisfied-either with too many unanswered questions or wanting more of the best ones. This may lead them to search for more information or to read some of the full-length stories by the authors they liked. Maybe. There is no urgent need to add this one to your collection. Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI

School Library Journal

Ten writers and athletes contribute sports stories written exclusively for this volume. The third installment in Scieszka's Guys Read Library of Great Reading again seeks to lure young male readers into the world of books. Following Funny Business (2010) and Thriller (2011), The Sports Pages offers a smorgasbord of sportswriting--fiction and nonfiction--to appeal to every sports enthusiast. From baseball to football, ice hockey to track and mixed martial arts, there is plenty here for sports-minded readers to like, with lively action, humor and even a dose of mysticism in the form of magical grapefruit and a witch doctor. James Brown's "The Choice" and Dustin Brown's "Against All Odds" are fine nonfiction entries, akin to the motivational talks athletes often present at sports banquets. Tim Green's "Find Your Fire" has the liveliest sports action, featuring a young offensive lineman learning to deal with changes in his life. Maximilian Funk, in Anne Ursu's "Max Swings for the Fences," tries to fit into the social scene of his new school and chooses the wrong way, with disastrous consequences. (Chris Crutcher's "The Meat Grinder" is slated for inclusion but was not seen.) The stories here offer action, humor and lessons about life and may well do the trick of connecting boys and books. (Short stories. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews