Soccer Goals (Jake Maddox) (Jake Maddox Sports Stories)($8.99Value)

Description

These best-selling sports stories by Jake Maddox are a hit! Pumped-up, easy-to-read stories with an emphasis on speed, skill, and fair play. The kids in these books face obstacles on the court, the field, the ice, or the half-pipe, and meet mental and social challenges as well. Readers discover that an athlete's inner game, persistence, and courage are just as important as a steady hand or a chance for a goal. In these latest additions to the popular sports-themed chapter books for kids, readers will meet a girl who joins a boys' football team at her new middle school, a soccer player who must to learn to play with his teammates in mind, a softball player who struggles mightily with her temper and impulsive decisions, and a Cherokee boy who deals with some bullies on his new lacrosse team. These first chapter books dig a little deeper into the subject of sports, focusing on players' relationships with each other and themselves, exploring the why and not just the what of the game. Black-and-white illustrations are frequent, and while multiple paragraphs appear on each spread, the text is spaced just enough for newly independent chapter book readers. A glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and more information about each sport is ­appended. VERDICT Purchase where the Jake Maddox sports books are popular or collections where books about lesser-known sports like lacrosse need representation.-- "School Library Journal" Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler - or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps - literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers. Passionate comic book artist Eduardo Garcia works from his studio (Red Wolf Studio) in Mexico City with the help of his talented son, Sebastian Iñaki. He has brought his talent, pencils, and colors to varied projects for many titles and publishers such as Scooby-Doo (DC Comics), Spiderman Family (Marvel), Flash Gordon (Aberdeen), and Speed Racer (IDW).