Extreme Sports

Children's Literature

In the modern era youngsters seem to be challenged more and more to test the limits of their capacities. In recent years a set of new competitions entitled "extreme sports" have come to the forefront of popularity. Activities such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and parasailing are each relatively new sports each of which have peaked the curiosity of generally younger athletes. In Extreme Sports Chris McNab traces the evolution of these, and other, relatively new and unusual sports. As in the other books in the "Sports Injuries" series of which this book is a part, McNab describes his chosen sport in a standard manner. Extreme Sports begins with a short history of the birth and development of these competitions. Then, McNab moves on to the mental and physical preparation that should be part and parcel of any participant's pre-game warm up. Lastly, the author does a nice job of describing some professional athletes that participate in extreme sports and ways in which youngsters might continue to participate in their beloved activity after their playing days are over. Taken as a whole, Extreme Sports is a very well thought out and practically applicable book. Youngsters, and the adults who are interested in their lives, will find this to be a readable and worthwhile addition to their sports libraries. 2004, Mason Crest Publishers, Ages 9 to 12.
—Greg M. Romaneck