Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought)

by Kathleen Krull, Kathryn Hewitt (Illustrator)

Overview

Almost everybody can reel off stats about a favorite athlete, but few fans know the person behind the trophies and medals. Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought) tells more than just the physical achievements of twenty groundbreaking athletes. What did they like to eat, to drink, to wear? What childhood games did they play? How did they handle fame and fortune? Avid sports fans and phobics alike will relish this collection of fears, habits, quirks, and what the neighbors found to gossip about.

     From Jackie Robinson to Sonja Henie to Bruce Lee, from surfing to basketball to soccer, no other book celebrates the art of the human body quite like this one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544247604
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	12/31/2013
Series:	Lives of . . . Series
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	1220L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kathleen Krull has written much innovative nonfiction for young people, including all of the books in the Lives of . . . series, and has made a chatty, accessible approach to biography her hallmark. She lives in San Diego, California. Visit her website at www.kathleenkrull.com.

Kathryn Hewitt's caricatures of famous figures led kids to dub the Lives of . . . series the "Big Head" books. She has illustrated many books for young readers, some of which she also wrote. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Visit her website at www.kathrynhewitt.com.

Editorial Reviews

This is a collection of brief stories, replete with trivia, anecdotes and quotes, about a special group of people-the sort who practice what the author calls "the art of the human body." But it's about more than just their exceptional athletic prowess and accomplishments. It's about their tastes, their appetites, their interests, and their essential humanity. We learn, for example, that the legendary Hawaiian swimmer and surfer, Duke Kahanamoka, found it painful to embarrass an opponent so he always swam fast enough to beat whoever came in second, but only just. There's information on categories that are personal and professional, sartorial and gastronomic. Part of an interesting series, it is a book with child appeal.

Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami

For students who can't get read enough about sports figures, Kathleen Krull comments on the lesser known likes, dislikes, and other idiosyncratic behaviors in the lives of 20 world famous athletes- Jim Thorpe, Flo Hyman, Sonja Henie, Pele, and the like, with full-page portraits by Kathryn Hewitt.

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

"Far juicier and more revealing reading than more usual pious sports biographies."—Publishers Weekly

"Krull hits another home run. . . . Interesting, entertaining, and fact-filled."—American Bookseller

From the Publisher