Top 25 Baseball Skills, Tips, and Tricks

November 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-This series covers techniques needed to become successful in each featured sport. It's assumed that readers are familiar with the games as rules and regulations are not emphasized. The tips flow naturally from one to 25. For example, Baseball begins by covering equipment and the proper batting stance and ends with the advice to "keep your head in the game" and "Be alert." Gymnastics, Basketball, and Football start with introductory pages, while Baseball, Hockey, and Soccer have only a couple of sentences and feel more abrupt in style. Text is intermixed with action photographs that often decorate rather than elucidate the precision moves that are necessary. This set will have difficulty competing with the plethora of sports skills titles, such as those in the "Skills in Motion" series (Rosen Central), which emphasize techniques using slow-motion photographs.

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Each title presents sport-specific skills, drills, and techniques, including the proper mechanics of passing, shooting, and scoring, as well as defensive strategies and game rules. "Pro Tips and Tricks," mainly work-ethic quotes from such pros as Tom Brady and Mary Lou Retton, are scattered throughout the texts. Instructive action photographs include both professional athletes and kids at play. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

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