Figure Skating

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

A collection of facts and trivia about the Olympic champions of figure skating are gathered. Brief descriptions and information are presented on the page with subheadings. There are short descriptions of the different skating moves and some history that reflects the changes that have occurred in the events. One chapter describes information about judging and the changes in the scoring system. Color photographs with captions feature some of the great figure skaters from different countries; there is a key-to-the-country abbreviations used in the back of the book. The index is a quick guide to locate information about particular skaters or about the sport. The title page, cataloging in publication page, and table of contents are all on the same page. Some guidance or introduction may be needed to discuss the format and presentation of the information which appears in separate blocks with subheadings. This book is a part of the "Winter Olympic Sports" series which covers other winter events. Although the text is mainly about the winter Olympics events, the publisher acknowledges that it is not authorized by the Olympic association. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5–This series has potential interest for use around the 2010 Winter Olympics, but it disappoints. The authors dryly recite facts as though writing for an almanac even though they are covering topics that could have inspired exciting narratives. Most of the color photographs are run of the mill and are shot at a mid-range distance, meaning that the skiers all look the same. Some fact boxes, such as the one about women hockey players, are on the wrong page. Other missed opportunities abound. For example, the two brief sentences in Paralympic Sports about how visually impaired biathletes shoot at targets that make electronic sounds will leave readers wanting more. Similar information is readily available elsewhere.