K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet (Sports Alphabet) - Hardcover

Brad Herzog lives on California's Monterey Peninsula with his wife, Amy, and his two sons, Luke and Jesse. As a freelance writer, he has won several awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including a Grand Gold Medal for best magazine article of the year. Brad has published more than two dozen books, including two memoirs about his travels through small-town America.

Grade 1-4-This alphabet book is loaded with informational tidbits about the sport but its audience is unclear. Young children may enjoy searching for specific letters within verses, such as, "-B is for brave boys and girls/who try with all their might/to boot that bouncing soccer ball/colored black and white," but they are not likely to understand, "C is for clubs everywhere/that give the fans their fill,/like Italy's A.C. Milan/and Santos in Brazil." Difficult letters Q, U, V, Y, and Z are imaginatively represented, but X merely "marks the spot." On each page or spread, letters are shown in both upper- and lowercase. The alphabetical organization predominates; otherwise, there is no apparent arrangementof the material. Older readers may peruse the substantial sidebars, which are set in a rather small font. They flesh out information presented in the related verse and/or provide additional associations with the letter. Acrylic paintings depict action-filled scenes and zoom in to show the emotion on the players' faces, but do little to support the many historical facts. A supplemental purchase.
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
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