Bo Jackson

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-- Although his athletic career is at least temporarily on hold, Bo Jackson's popularity remains high; hence, Devaney has updated his 1988 title of the same name (Walker). Since the publication of that edition, Jackson has, and continues, to fight through medical problems that are chronicled in two additional chapters. The book was written before Jackson's physical condition resulted in a hip replacement in the spring of 1991, thus leaving off with a more optimistic assessment of his chances of returning to professional sports than is the consensus now. Although the dust jacked ignores the accomplishments of Deon Sanders and a handful of others by stating that Jackson ``is the only man in recent history to play both baseball and football professionally,'' the book is tightly written and portrays both the on and off field in the subject's life. Jackson's deviant childhood activities are portrayed realistically and unsympathetically, making his later accomplishments, including obtaining his college degree, even more admirable. He comes across as the human he is, not as some sort of unblemished deity. Standard black-and-white photographs, the majority identical to the ones found in the earlier edition, support the text. --Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Pub lic Library, WI