Ultimate Sports: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults [Mass Market Paperback]

Donald R. Gallo (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1997

A knockout collection of 16 original stories featuring young adults playing basketball and football, running track and cross-country, and training for the triathlon. Challenges abound in water sports, racquetball and tennis, boxing and wrestling, and the "ultimate" sport of the future.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up?An anthology of original stories by top YA authors. Some of the selections are straightforward sports stories, such as Thomas Dygard's account of a high school football lineman who finally gets to carry the ball and finds it a scarier experience than he imagined. Contributions by some of the other writers are more exotic. For example, Robert Lipsyte's "The Defender" features an intergalactic game. Many of the stories use sports as a springboard for an exploration of other themes, such as Virginia Euwer Wolff's account of a snorkling and diving trip to the Caribbean, told from the perspective of each of the high school students who participated. And David Klass offers an account of a young man who discovers that his pretty and intelligent mixed-doubles partner belongs to a weird cult. In all, there is a terrific mix of the serious and the lighthearted, female and male characters, and traditional and nontraditional games. A winning collection.?Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-12. Gallo's most recent compilation of short stories follows the pattern of his previous books--stories by popular YA authors collected under a unifying theme. Authors contributing to this collection of 16 fine short stories with sports settings or themes include Chris Crutcher, T. Ernesto Bethancourt, Carl Deuker, Norma Fox Mazer, Harry Mazer, Tessa Duder, Chris Lynch, and Virginia Euwer Wolff. Gallo has anthologized stories with characters from a variety of ethnic heritages, with varying cognitive and physical ability levels, and with both male and female protagonists. Although the book will strongly appeal to readers of sports fiction, librarians who booktalk Ultimate Sports may secure it a wider audience. The anthology can also be an excellent means of introducing reluctant readers to the novels of these popular and critically acclaimed YA authors. Merri Monks --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 333 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440227070
• ISBN-13: 978-0440227076
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teenagers and Sports, June 20, 2007

By 

A. Luciano (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate Sports: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults (Mass Market Paperback)

This book contains a series of original short stories written by authors of novels for teenagers. Although each story is related to sports in some way, mostly the stories are about adolescents relating to others in their lives. Some use sports as escapism from something. Peter thinks cross-country running might give him some rest from the two hours of piano practice he is required to do every day. While hiding from police, Randy takes up boxing. Triathlons give mentally challenged Clark a place to be successful. David joins an otherwise all-Hawaiian paddling team to get away from his father, just as Lenny stays out playing handball till all hours of the night to get away from his father. Max goes fishing to get away from the daily grind. Kirsty escapes on a yacht by mistake, then realizes she loves to sail. Jennifer plays tennis to keep occupied while waiting for the end of the world. And the hobbyist collects memorabilia to make himself forget he isn't an athlete.

Others in this book play a sport to get something in particular out of it. Sun wants her father's attention on her instead of on her little brother all of the time. Jessie wants her friends Meadow and Diane to meet each other and get along, and she thinks the racquetball court is the perfect place for that to happen. Curt and his friends want to be in the "Guinness Book of World Records." Moose wants to carry the football for once, instead of just tackling the other guys.

Still others are changed by their sport. Joey learns a little something about outsmarting the other team when his uncle coaches his high school wrestling team, and Patrice's entire life is affected when she goes on a scuba diving trip to the Caribbean.

Each story, although different, is able to pull the reader into the life of a teenager as it revolves and as sports affect it. Most of these stories were excellent. I liked how they involved sports but that wasn't the entire focus of the stories. It was also interesting to read what some of my favorite young adult authors were able to do in a short story format.

I tend to like novels better than short stories, though, as short stories always leave me wanting to know more about the characters and their lives.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Sports, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ultimate Sports: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a great for sport lovers of all ages. I found this book to be interesting. It has sixteen awsome sort stories for you. I really quote "Check this book out"