Good Sports: Winning, Losing, and Everything in Between [Paperback]

Therese Kauchak (Author), Norm Bendell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: American Girl Library

American Girl's behind-the-scenes look at sports includes advice on being a great teammate, a good winner, and a gracious loser; dealing with parents and coaches; playing with boys; and deciding whether to quit the team. Also includes advice from famous women athletes and a list of addresses for sports associations so girls can get even more information about the sports they love.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 3-8-Sound advice and encouraging thoughts about getting in shape, eating right, training, playing under adverse conditions, and boys as teammates and competitors fill this title. In addition, several well-known female athletes are featured, including soccer player Julie Foudy and basketball star Nikki McCray. Quotes from these individuals and children who play sports are sprinkled throughout the text. Quick quizzes help young readers determine what kind of athlete they are. The full-color photographs (many double-page) of women and girls in action and cartoon characters demonstrate points of sportsmanship and drills, and add touches of humor. Although there are other good titles on this subject, including John Bowman's Sportsmanship (Rosen, 1990) and Janet Riehecky's Good Sportsmanship (Children's, 1990; o.p.), none come close to the scope or entertainment value of Good Sports.
Barb Lawler, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This terribly earnest and enthusiastic "personal playbook" for girls is illustrated with splashy photographs and lighthearted, cartoon sketches. A two-page history of women and sports mentions a few key ideas: that people once believed strenuous physical activity was harmful to females (despite centuries of farm and house work) and that the world of girls' sports changed radically in 1972, when Title IX mandated that in school sports, "what boys got, girls got, too." Topics such as preparation, team efforts, practice, and working with coaches are covered, and there are spot vignettes about good and bad behavior by teammates, parents, and players. Interviews with skater Michelle Kwan and soccer cocaptain Julie Foudy are part of a mix that includes sidebars, quotes, text boxes containing advice, and even a few comments from boys. A "webliography" is also included, as is a page for girls to fill in with their own sports habits and experiences. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562477471
• ISBN-13: 978-1562477479
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,659,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Young Females, November 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Sports: Winning, Losing, and Everything in Between (Paperback)

The American Girl GOOD SPORTS book is a wonderful, comprehensive book for young female atheletes. I found it to be funny, insightful, informative and very applicable to today's American girl. As a mom of a young girl I particularly like the way it highlights confidence building, mind power, and goal setting. It cleverly intermingles the basics, such as nutrition and what to wear, with the more complex topics, such as team building skills and handling failure. GOOD SPORTS covers a wide array of sports and includes interviews with a variety of prominent female athletes. I highly recommend this book to those of you that have a young girl or girls in your life.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book tells girls what good sportsmanship is all about., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Sports: Winning, Losing, and Everything in Between (Paperback)

"Good Sports" is a book which helps girls to be the "best athlete you can be." It catagorizes players, parents, and other important people into real-life situations. It has quizes, quotes from other athletes, and memory pages. Also, it offers a lot of web sites and other addresses for girls to look up their favorite sports. More importantly, this book shows girls what teamwork and good sportsmanship is all about. One of my favorite parts in the book says: "Sometimes heart is the strongest muscle." This book also tells girls how to take good care of yourself- to eat healthy so that you are a better athlete. It includes the food pyramid and what one serving is. "Good Sports" involves "Power Drills" and advice from other girls. It goes inside the lives of other athletes, such as Michelle Kwan, but also shows girls'lives who are teens or pre-teens. This book not only focuses on the physical parts of playing a game, but on the mental part as well: keeping your dreams alive even when you're at the bottom of the team, or you were embarrassed at a basketball game when you tripped. I would reccommend "Good Sports" to any female athelete, whether you are experienced or haven't even started yet. It teaches you the basics and also the mental parts of a game! It has advice on keeping your mind and body strong, along with being a good winner and loser. It has advice from other athletes, famous or otherwise, memory pages to record your victories, dreams and goals, and ways to reach sports associations. As the book says, it includes "Winning. Losing. And everything in between."