Ice Hockey and Curling

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

Quick facts and statistics are found on the pages of this book from the "Winter Olympic Sports" series. Although the book and series are not officially associated with the Olympics, there are many pieces of brief information about ice hockey and curling in relation to the sport and the Olympics, such as when curling became an official part of the competition, or the surprising victories in hockey. There are insets and borders with more information such as the 2006 winter Olympic medalists and other historical facts. Readers will find color photographs with captions on nearly every page. A glossary is included and the words in the glossary appear in bold print in the main body of the text. For specific information, some children may find the index to be helpful, while for those children seeking more information about ice hockey or curling, there is a list with suggested books and websites to explore. Some readers may need an introduction to the format and style of this quick reference book since the flow of the text is different in presentation. The title page, catalog in publishing page, and table of contents share the same page. There are multiple, short blocks of information with their own subheadings on each page. 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.