Free Climb

March 1, 2009
Gr 4-8-These sport-themed novels provide a lot of bang for your buck and are perfect for reluctant readers. In "Rivals", Amy suffers an injury that prevents her from competing on her school track team for two months of the season, and she worries that she won't be prepared for a big meet. Priebe successfully conveys the African-American child's love for running, and the dialogue is easygoing and realistic. The fast-paced story has enough suspense to keep readers' interest. The only minus may be the illustrations, which appear rather one-dimensional and amateurish. In "Climb", 14-year-old Amir is befriended by a police officer who helps the boy channel his dangerous attempts at scaling buildings into the safe, fun hobby of climbing in a gym. The book skillfully combines an action-based plot with facts about the sport. The story is well executed (if a little predictable), but it is not enhanced by the illustrations. Back matter in both books is excellenta brief biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias in "Rivals" and facts about climbing in the other book; questions to prompt discussion and writing; and directions for using the publisher's FactHound Web site to further explore these activities."Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI"

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