Reviews (12)

Achingly funny
This book is my A+ #1 absolute favorite book of all time.I have reread it at least once a year since it came out and it never fails to blow my mind.The characters are realistic, Celine's narration is hilarious, and the melancholy honesty makes it an invaluable novel for teen and adult readers.Seriously -- everyone must like this book.

Portrait of the Artist as a Teenage Girl
In this book, Brock Cole introduces us to Celine Morienval, a sixteen-year-old high school student living in Chicago.Celine is a talented artist and all-around bright kid, who has a fairly good idea of what she wants to do.Her parents are divorced; her professor father has married one of his students, Catherine, who is only six years older than Celine.He has chosen to let stepmother and stepdaughter work out the details of their relationship while he attends to pressing academic business in Europe and remains an invisible presence throughout the story.Celine's has a well-developed sense of irony that she unleashes on her family situation with great humor.Her attitude towards family matters is remarkably mature. Hilarious!
This is one of the best Young Adult novels I have ever read.Celine is a fascinating character, and her outlook on life is refreshing and funny.Several passages made me laugh out loud, even on my third reading of it. The narrative is original, lively, and captivating.This book is a real gem. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adolescence    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Family - Marriage & Divorce    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. School & Education    8. School stories    9. Social Issues - Adolescence   

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Field hockey    3. Field hockey for girls    4. Hockey - General    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Recreation - Hockey    8. Sports (Young Adult)    9. Hockey    10. USA   

Reviews (5)

Takedown
Great book!!! would recomend it to any high school wrestler brings back lots of memerories.

More about life than wrestling
A book that is big within the amateur wrestling cycle, "Takedown" is a story about life lessons rather than wrestling.Read as Jake Chapman, hit with an unexpected dose of the unfairness of life, learns to survive and cope with fear while everthing that he values is slipping away.This book will hook you from page one.I read the whole thing in one night.I reccommend this novel to everyone, not just wrestling fans.

Takedown: A great book for young adults
This novel was a great educational tool! My high school special education class and I read this book together. My boys and girls equally liked the book. We would only read one chapter a day and they were truly disappointed when I wouldn't continue to the next chapter the same day. It opened up the door to alot of discussions on disabilities and perceptions. My students felt like the main character of the book knew how they were feeling most of the time. In teaching self advocacy, this novel helped my students reflect on their own disability after seeing how the main character dealt with his disability and how others perceived it. It was easy to read and understand for my students with all different disabilities. I highly recommend this novel to other teachers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Epilepsy    4. Fiction    5. High schools    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Perseverance (Ethics)    8. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    9. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous    10. Wrestling   

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. General    5. Juvenile literature    6. Sports    7. Juvenile Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / General   

Subjects:  1. 1934-1972    2. Baseball players    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography - Cultural Heritage    5. Biography & Autobiography - General    6. Biography & Autobiography - Sports & Recreation    7. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    8. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    9. Clemente, Roberto,    10. Juvenile Nonfiction    11. Juvenile literature    12. Puerto Rico   

Reviews (4)

Adorable!
I hate spoiler reviews so just know that if you buy this book, you will not be disappointed. It's adorable. I'm looking forward to the sequel! :)

Witchy girl
I wont go into details about the story since others have already done this.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too
For Prudence Stewart, sixteen, leaving behind her home and school in Beverly Hills to move to Salem, Massachusetts, is
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Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. School & Education    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Social Issues - New Experience    8. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous    9. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / New Experience   

Reviews (9)

Players Best Book
This was a suspensful book. The protagonist was Corey,and the antagonist was Noah. During this book the basketball team has high hopes for all state. Itgoes through the book with manyproblems and solutions. In the end someone close to Corey is near death.This was a great book.

Not a favorite
I can't help but wonder as I read the other reviews if I read the same book as everyone else.I originally picked up this book because I teach 7/8th grade English and thought it might be something for my students who are into sports.What I found was an overly simplistic "mystery" with predictable twists and a couple of sexual references thrown in here and there.Normally I agree with the ALA on their picks for reluctant readers, but I think they missed on this one.

Players
Players Book Review
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Subjects:  1. Basketball    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Fiction    5. High schools    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Schools    8. Social Issues - Friendship    9. Social Issues - General    10. Social Issues - Peer Pressure    11. Social Situations - General    12. Sports & Recreation - Basketball    13. Sports & Recreation - General   

Reviews (3)

Dropping in with Andy Mac: The Life of a Pro Skateboarder
Here's an awesome book that will have you reading non-stop from beginning to end. Have you ever had the dream of becoming a professional skateboarder? Andy MacDonald has fulfilled such a dream. Dropping in with Andy Mac The Life of a Pro Skateboarder, is by far the greatest cant stop autobiography ever! I fell in love with this book from he start. It's a quick fun book to read.
Loved this book
My 9 year old son loved this book.He learned a lot of good values from someone he really admires.I highly recommend this book.

If you like skateboarding read this book
Dropping in with Andy Mac is a really good book. It is about Andy Macs life. If you dont like skateboarding dont read this book because every page mentions skateboarding at least twice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1973-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography - Sports & Recreation    4. Children's Books/Young Adult Biography    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Family - Marriage & Divorce    7. Juvenile Nonfiction    8. Macdonald, Andy,    9. Skateboarders    10. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous    11. United States    12. Fiction / Movie or Television Tie-In   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. General    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile Sports    7. Juvenile Transportation    8. Juvenile literature    9. NASCAR (Association)    10. Sports & Recreation - Motor Sports    11. Stock car racing    12. United States    13. Juvenile Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Motor Sports   

Reviews (2)

The Perfect Book For Young Equestriennes & All Horse Lovers
If you know an adolescent girl, (or boy), who loves horses, this may be the perfect book. It certainly makes a wonderful gift. Thirteen-year-old Eve Shinerock has been raised around horses. Her Mom is a riding instructor and Eve has had her own horse, Lightning, half Arabian and half Connemara pony, since she was very small. I am a rider
A 13 year old girl gives a pictorial introduction to all aspects of her equestrian lifestyle: jumping, trail riding, equipment, horse care, competing, teaching. Shows a young person working and being responsible while enjoying her dream.A positive role model, Eve Shinerock shares her love of horses with her readers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Horses    2. Biography    3. Children's 9-12 - Sports / Recreation / Outdoors    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Juvenile literature    6. Massachusetts    7. Pictorial works    8. Shinerock, Evening    9. Show riders    10. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous    11. Women    12. Fiction    13. Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Horses   

Reviews (1)

Wow, what a book!
I highly recommend this book for anybody that loves the game of basketball.I read this book in 2 days, it is that good!Mad props to the authors... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Basketball    3. Basketball - General    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Determination (Personality trait)    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous   

Subjects:  1. Anabolic steroids    2. Children's 12-Up - Recovery    3. Children's 9-12 - Recovery    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Drug abuse    7. Health & Daily Living - Substance Abuse    8. Juvenile Health Sciences    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Juvenile Substance Use / Abuse Education    11. Juvenile literature    12. Self-Help    13. Social Issues - Drugs, Alcohol, & Substance Abuse    14. Sports & Recreation - General    15. Steroids    16. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Drug Dependence   

Reviews (1)

martial arts

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Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Girls & Women    5. Health & Daily Living - Fitness & Exercise    6. Juvenile Health Sciences    7. Juvenile Nonfiction    8. Juvenile literature    9. Martial arts for children    10. Self-defense for women    11. Sports & Recreation - Martial Arts    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / Health / Fitness & Exercise   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Canada    3. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    5. Historical - Other    6. Hockey players    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Juvenile literature    9. Sports & Recreation - Hockey    10. Sports & Recreation - Winter Sports   

Reviews (1)

The legend of Jesse Owens
This is one of the best books I have ever read.What an incredible life Jesse had. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. African American athletes    3. African Americans    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography - People of Color    6. Biography & Autobiography - Sports & Recreation    7. Children's 12-Up - Biography / Autobiography    8. Children: Grades 3-4    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Juvenile literature    11. Owens, Jesse,    12. Sports & Recreation - Track & Field    13. Track and field athletes    14. Owens, Jesse   

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    2. Juvenile Fiction    3. Social Issues - Dating & Sex    4. Social Issues - General    5. Sports & Recreation - Games - General   

Reviews (84)

Very Good
What is wrong with these kid reviewers?I admit, I've never been really fond of Gary Paulsen's books, but i was pleasantly surprised.Seriously, every kid reviewer who hated this book should go out and get a life!Very well written book.

Wilderness Adventures
Gary Paulsen. "Paulsen is the best man-against-nature adventures writing today" according to Publisher Weekly. He lives with his wife Ruth in Minnesota. In "Wood Song" Gary talks about his like in the woods with his dogs. The book is about how unforgiving the wild can be and how he had to learn to deal with death in a hole new way. In just the first few chapters he talks about how on one of his first runs with a sled team he encounters a pack of wolfs chasing a deer. Also he learns that he knows very little about running a dog sled team in the begging, but once he starts running with the team more and more he starts to understand them and why they like to run. The book talks about how close Gary gets to his first led dog Storm. The book then talks about when he ran the Iditarod in Alaska. How he had to survive against the elements with only his dogs as company. In the book Gary talks about where he has been and what he has done.
This is VERY informational
I really enjoyed this book because it talks alot about his life.The book is a little gorey in the first few chapters but it really talks about Gary Paulsen's life.Some quotes that I thought that were meaningful were the parts where he talked about The Doe, I thought that part was interesting to me becuase it talked about life or death which was always a mystery to me.
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Foxes    2. Biography & Autobiography - Sports & Recreation    3. Children's 12-Up - Biography / Autobiography    4. Children's Books/Young Adult Biography    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    6. Dogsledding    7. Family - Multigenerational    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Minnesota    11. Outdoor life    12. Recreational Activities (Young Adult)    13. Sled dogs    14. Hobbies, quizzes & games    15. Homes and haunts    16. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance    17. Paulsen, Gary   

Reviews (5)

The Kite Rider- Antony D
The Kite Rider. A book centered completely on the importance of obedience. A small boy living in a small village of 13th century china has to overcome everything that is taught to him and above all from the importance of obedience to the importance of respect for your elders. Through being strapped to a kite and being used as a wind tester for a merchant vessel, Haoyou's father, Gou Pei, is brutally killed by first mate Di Chou, and that sets Haoyou's life in for a whirlwind of events he could not have imagined possible.
The Kite Rider
The Kite Rider is a story about a boy, Haoyou, who goes through the pain of seeing his father die. Haoyou went to see his father off of the harbor and watched in horror as his father was put on the kite tester. His father died in the air. The man who killed Haoyou's father wanted to marry his mother. Haoyou's great uncle, Bo approved so Haoyou and his cousin Miping put him aboard a ship that was set to sail. Later that dayin the house of his great uncle, the Great Miao master of the Jade circus, offers Haoyou the chance to become a kite rider. Bo agreedthat it would be a great wayto earn money. Haoyou had no say in the matter and said he would only go ifMiping could come with him. The Miao agreed so they went to travel with the Jade circus. They have many adventures and find out the Miao's great secret. Haoyoueven got to performin front ofKublai Khan himself.
A Short Adventure, Makes You Think
If you ask me if I would recommand this book to peoples, I would say yes.The author makes very descriptive sceans but I believe that it is not historically very accurate.The boy whose name was always changing goes to perform with the Jade Circus.One reason was in an attempt to escape from his evil and selfish Great-uncle Bo.Yet his great uncle catches up and demands all his money that he earns.The ending could be predicted but the boy lost his sight for one eye.In conclusion, I would say that the adventure is too short and makes you think about certain things. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Audio - 9-12    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Historical - Asia    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. People & Places - Asia    8. Performing Arts - General    9. Sports & Recreation - General   

Reviews (1)

Girls' Basketball Coach/High School-Middle School AD
This bookdocuments the development of basketball from its inception in 1891 to the present. The book provides a thorough history of the sport as it relates to girls and women. While many fans of basketball see this sport as a man's game, basketball for girls and women spread like wildfire within a week of its invention. As I have researched girls basketball extensively, I think it is fair to say that historically, women were more enthusiastic about basketball than men....although everyone loved it from the beginning. Just as their is a rich history of the Negro Leagues that flourished before blacks were allowed to play in the majors, basketball for females also flourished obscurely on the high school and college level. Of particular interest were the industrial leagues of 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Women were recruited to play for companies that sponsored women's teams to promote their business, attract good employees who were also good basketball players and to create employee loyalty in the face of threats for companies to unionize. These teams gave women a chance to travel and get paid for doing something they really loved.Read more

Subjects:  1. Basketball for girls    2. Basketball for women    3. Children's 9-12 - Sports / Recreation / Outdoors    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    6. Girls & Women    7. History    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Sports & Recreation - Basketball    11. United States   

Editorial Review

Imagine an all-star team of writers such as Adrienne Rich, Fannie Hurst, Marge Piercy, Betty Bao Lord, Maxine Kumin, Tess Gallagher, and Laurie Colwin. Now imagine them casting their considerable literary prowess into the sporting ring. These writers form the core of an impressive roster in this long-overdue anthology. Filled with passion and insight, these poems, stories, and excerpts play all fields and beautifully explore and explain the different layers of exuberance and anguish unique to the sporting experience of women. These are no simple tales of victory, but rather finely wrought musings on the genuine possibilities that sports and competition hold out to the human spirit. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The funniest, saddest, most moving collection of sportswrite
I recently selected this book for use in a new course I am teaching on sportswriting at the University of California, San Diego. When I went searching for a good example of sportswriting to counterbalance the manyofferings by men, I was not encourage by the very small number of titles bywomen. This book astonished me in its variety and quality of contributions,AND it is fiction, which makes it all the more exiciting to read. Verypersonal, very gritty, very real. Read this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century American Literature    2. American literature    3. Anthologies (multiple authors)    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Literary collections    7. Short Stories (Anthologies)    8. Sports    9. Sports for women    10. Women As Authors (American Literature)    11. Women athletes    12. Women authors    13. Women's Studies - General