Surfing

Children's Literature - Barbara Carroll Roberts

Any young reader who thinks surfing looks like fun will enjoy this introduction to the sport of competitive surfing. Big, bright photographs surge across every two-page spread, full of action and intensity. With illustrations this exciting, even reluctant readers will want to learn more about what is going on. The book begins with an introduction to the X-Games competitions of "extreme" sports, as well as a short history of surfing, starting with the ancient Polynesians. Readers will learn about some of the finer points of surfing equipment, how surfers "read" the water to determine what kind of waves are coming in, the different kinds of team-surfing competitions included in the X-Games, and how surfers prepare and qualify for the events. The book also highlights several of the most famous surfing areas around the world. Like all the books in this "Extreme" series, this one includes short profiles of both stars and legends of the sport, a glossary, an index, and suggestions for further research. Reviewer: Barbara Carroll Roberts

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8

The bright colors and graphics in these books are reminiscent of the irreverent styles and attitudes on display at the X Games. Each title offers a readable overview of the Games, along with a look at each sport and its equipment, venues, and current and past athletes. A "Similar Sports" chapter in each volume shows possible inspiration for these unusual pastimes, such as mountain biking and auto racing in MotoX, for example. The information is up-to-date if superficial, and evidence of haste shows in a few typos and unidentified photos, but, otherwise, this is an eye-catching option for fans and browsers alike.