Basketball - Biography, Basketball - Players & Teams
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Synopsis
Yao Ming is one of the biggest men to ever play in the NBA. Yet, when he was drafted out of China in 2002, many scouts openly questioned whether the big center would ever develop the strength and tenacity to make it in the pros. Yao Ming disproved all of his critics by holding his own against the NBA's biggest and best, including Shaquille O'Neal. In this biography, author Jeff Young sheds light on the life and career of this amazing athlete.Editorials
VOYA
This series offers high-interest biographies of popular athletes from basketball, baseball, football, and NASCAR. Other featured athletes include Tom Brady, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Lisa Leslie, Shaquille O'Neal, Lebron James, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Allen Iverson. Each book begins with an action-packed description of a pivotal moment in the athlete's career followed by an overview of the athlete's childhood and collegiate career. The bulk of each book is a chronological account of the professional career of each sports star, with descriptions of important games. Each book features career statistics (through 2004), Internet links, and contact information. The black-and-white photographs are plentiful, and are presented in a unique "shattered" format, which adds a great deal of visual appeal. The books feature an unvarnished history of the athletes, discussing legal problems and family issues frankly. For example, Yao Ming's legal difficulties with the Chinese government as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s anguish over his father's death are explored. Potentially unfamiliar sports terms are defined within the text. Better editing could have improved the accuracy of the books--the names of NBA stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Allen Iverson are spelled several different ways across several books--but overall the series shines. This series should be very appealing to reluctant readers and is highly recommended for school and public libraries, where it will prove very popular with readers seeking titles for book reports or recreational reading. (Sports Leaders). VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; JuniorHigh, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Enslow, 104p.; Index. Illus. Photos. Source Notes., PLB . Ages 11 to 15.—Sherrie Williams
Book Details
Published
February 1, 2005
Publisher
Enslow Publishers, Incorporated
Pages
104
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780766024229