Hammer

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-- Two high-gloss titles that feature a multitude of full-page, mostly full-color photographs, plenty of white space, and basically uncritical writing styles. Johnson traces the subject's basketball career, looks briefly at how being found HIV positive has affected his life, and ends before his Olympic experience, professional comeback, and subsequent retirement. A listing of his college and professional statistics and a bibliography are appended. Hammer looks at the recording artist's lifelong flair for performing, concentrating on his musical development and the positive messages he tries to give to his audiences. Fairly typical of books in this genre, these titles are neither outstanding nor fatally flawed. Their packaging and the popularity of their subjects will guarantee their circulation. Gutman's Magic Johnson (Millbrook, 1992) is a similar treatment. For older readers, Pascarelli's Courage of Magic Johnson , (Bantam, 1992) provides a more detailed discussion of the HIV issue. --Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI