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Tennis, Anyone?
By Holly E. Newton
Tennis, anyone? Are you ready for the
U.S. Open? Here is an outstanding mystery that takes place during
the U.S. Open. Vanishing Act,
by John Feinstein, is an exciting adventure as well as an inside
look at professional tennis. Two teenage reporters, Stevie and Susan
Carol, are invited to report on various players and events as they
unfold at the U.S. Open. What they don’t realize is that they
are also about to become intricately involved in a mystery.
When the Russian player, Nadia Symanova, suddenly
vanishes just prior to her next match, the entire tournament is
in an uproar. Stevie and Susan Carol had just met her and were looking
forward to seeing her play, but now they are swept up in trying
to figure out what happened to her. They begin to put the mysterious
pieces of the puzzle together as they become detectives, as well
as reporters.
The dialogue between both of these smart young
protagonists is clever and the story will keep you guessing through
to the very end with its final resolution. Feinstein is a regular
sports writer himself, as it becomes apparent in the story. His
extensive experience covering professional tennis gives the reader
a real look inside this potentially wealthy sport. He brilliantly
weaves real players, agents, reporters and even products into this
insightful story. His other mystery involving these same storyline
characters, Last Shot, is another great look inside the profession
of basketball.
Click to Buy
And while we’re on the subject of basketball and sports, Mike
Lupica has a new book about the subject. Summer Ball
has 13-year-old Danny heading up to Maine to be in
one of the most coveted basketball camps in the nation. This is
where many college coaches go to take a look at future prospects,
where 17-year-olds are looking to sign on to a big-time college
program and where Danny can hardly wait to play his favorite sport
all day long and well into the night for a month.
Even though he’s smaller than average,
he makes up for it with speed and accuracy — which becomes
evident by the amount of hours he puts into his practice. He’s
about to meet some major obstacles at camp — ones that are
completely unexpected and even surprising.
If you’ve not read Lupica’s other
books, you’re missing out! His book, Heat, is about Danny
and his team winning the national championship and is as good as
this follow-up book. But you don’t need to read the first
book in order to catch up on Danny’s life at this point. However,
I’m warning you, even if you don’t care about basketball,
you’ll love this book. Teachers and parents will love reading
this story out loud! Be prepared for your listeners to beg you to
keep reading! These kinds of books are priceless!
Click to Buy
Is your sports enthusiast interested in football? You won’t
find a better informational book than John Madden‘s Heroes
of Football: The Story of America’s Game. This
over-size book is full of photographs, historical events and interesting
real life stories of some of the greatest players in history.
But don’t be dissuaded into thinking this
book is dull. On the contrary, his extensive knowledge on critical
plays, players and the growth of this most popular spectator sport
will thrill even the couch enthusiast. And what I like best are
the stories of players that beat the odds by rising above mediocrity
to become great! Each one of these examples shows kids how hard
these players worked and practiced to become their best.
Kickoff, by Donna King, is a fast read
for the soccer enthusiasts and has Tyra just moving from Florida
to England with her family. Even though the story is fairly predictable,
it’s a fun read as Tyra tries to adjust to this new and different
culture. But, she has one thing in common with these new girls she’s
about to meet — soccer. The team didn’t win a game the
previous year, but it’s all about to change with the talented
new girl from the U.S.A.
Click to Buy
Getting Air, by Dan Gutman, looks like
it’s going to be all about skateboarding. But the story is
much more involved than just the sport of boarding. Jimmy, his little
sister, and two of his best boarding friends are flying to California
to visit family when the plane is hijacked. The story draws parallels
from the 9/11 attacks and the kids get their motivation from remembering
what happened back then. The survival is exciting and a page-turner;
it’s just always too bad when authors have to use violence
in any of their stories. Kids see enough of that on TV, movies and
video games.
Getting to First Base with Danalda Chase,
by Matt Beam, is a clever book that uses baseball cards and lingo
as Darcy, who is nuts about the game, is attempting to get a girl
to like him. The story is funny and ends with a good moral and you
may just learn a thing or two about baseball.
Click to Buy
Heart of a Champion, by Carl Deuker, focuses on two boys’
lives and how they become best friends. Jimmy is talented at baseball
and likely heading for the pros. Seth, who tells the story, has
to work hard to be successful on the field. Seth comes from a strong
family; Jimmy doesn’t. Jimmy makes some bad choices and Seth
stays true to his beliefs. This particular book is better suited
for ages 12 and up, while the rest of these sports books are geared
for ages 10 and up.
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© 2007
Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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