Mia Hamm

VOYA

These two titles are part of the eight-volume Women Who Win series featuring notable women athletes. Mia Hamm is one of the best-known athletes in the United States and easily the nation's most famous soccer player. Her biography gives almost no insight into the personal details of Hamm's life, focusing instead on her athletic career. Schnakenberg begins by recapping Hamm's role in the 1999 World Cup in Los Angeles and then traces the development of Hamm as a soccer player from her first introduction to the game as a five-year-old living in Italy; through her play on club, high school, and college soccer teams; and back again to the 1999 World Cup. The text is an easy read and is complemented by several color photos, most of which come from Hamm's days on the University of North Carolina and U.S. National teams. Immediately after the last chapter is a table that displays Hamm's soccer statistics from 1987 to 1999. This book will appeal to young fans of Mia Hamm, but especially to those who have just discovered her or who are playing in junior soccer leagues. Other volumes in the series profile basketball star Cynthia Cooper, tennis star Martina Hingis, figure skating sensation Michelle Kwan, and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, Trade pb. Index. Illus. Photos. Further Reading. Chronology. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M S (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Chelsea House, S64p, . Ages 12 to 14. Reviewer: Chris Crowe SOURCE: VOYA, April 2001 (Vol. 24, No.1)