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You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
- By Jonah Winter
- Genre: Sports
Common Sense Media says
A must for any baseball fan.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's nothing offensive about this inspiring baseball biography.
What's the story?
Sandy Koufax was one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in professional baseball but even die-hard fans might have missed him. This book introduces kids to Koufax's career from his start with the Dodgers as a rookie with a fast arm to his tenure as the pitcher no one could beat -- not even Mickey Mantle. Along the way the author shares tidbits of baseball history through tossed-off anecdotes and embedded charts.
Is it any good?
Koufax's story is inspiring, and the author relates it easily using a friendly, colloquial voice ostensibly belonging to one of Koufax's unnamed teammates. The tone makes it a fun read aloud for parents and the picture book format gives even reluctant readers an easy way to get a lot of baseball history and stick-to-it inspiration in one sitting.
But what really makes this book a knock-out are the highly stylized illustrations. Detailed with gold foil, the pictures manage to look modern while capturing the retro mood of the story. The heavy shadowing accurately imparts the drama of Koufax's story and the smooth swirl of graphite curves helps create movement that's appropriate for a sports story.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about anti-Semitism and its presence in professional sports during Koufax's reign. They can also talk about what it takes to be great in sports. Is talent enough? Can kids think of other sports legends who struggled at the beginning? They can also look up the other baseball players mentioned throughout the book.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 24, 2010
AGE
never for kids: 7 and under iffy for kids: 8-13 appropriate for kids: 13 and over
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AGE
never for kids: 7 and under iffy for kids: 8-13 appropriate for kids: 13 and over
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Kid, 11 years old
June 24, 2010
AGE
never for kids: 7 and under iffy for kids: 8-13 appropriate for kids: 13 and over
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AGE
Young kids HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX?
This is an inspiring book, even though my children do not yet understand it. My son is a left-hand pitcher on his little league, and I know this will be motivating for him when he gets older.
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| Topics: | sports and martial arts |
| Author: | Jonah Winter |
| Book type: | Non-Fiction |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Publisher: | Random House |
| Publication date: | February 24, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 40 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 9 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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