Snowboard

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

Snowboarding is like a combination of skiing, surfing, and skateboarding. This sport has been a part of the winter Olympics competition since 1998. Read about the different facts and statistics of snowboarding in relation to the Olympics. The subheadings separate the different blocks of brief information in the layout. There are several color pictures of some of the champions from different parts of the world. On the lower borders of the page are the 2006 Olympic medalists. Besides the glossary, there is a subsection in the main text that explains some of the terminology used in snowboarding. For students who are researching this topic, the index may help them to locate specific information or the list of books and websites may provide sources for additional information. An introduction to the format and presentation of this informational text may help to support some students as they try to navigate the facts in the text. This book is part of the "Winter Olympic Sports" series which features other Olympic events. The publishers note that the series 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.