Injuries in Sports

Gr 5–9—These books offer balanced treatment of issues taken from the headlines of current sports' pages. For instance, Injuries opens with a look at Robert Griffin III, the Washington Redskins' quarterback who chose to play in a 2013 playoff game despite a serious injury. Griffin's decision, along with its possible consequences for his career, leads into a larger discussion of athletic injuries. All the titles offer color photos, informative sidebars that do not disrupt the textual flow, discussion questions, a glossary, and online and print resources. Most include excellent examples from a range of sports. While all are well written, the most successful titles are those with a narrow focus, such as Concussions. The books with the broadest focus do not fare as well, such as Violence in Sports and, in particular, Equality in Sports, which considers racism, sexism, and discrimination against differently abled and gay, lesbian, transgender athletes. Overall, these timely and well-crafted titles will be excellent student resources.