From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 17:00:26 -0600

Lynn-- you're right about the lack of Olympic sports books for younger children. I think it's due largely to the fact that picture books, readers, and easy non-fiction books tend to be more about kids (or furry animals) participating in sports, rather than adults in professional or amateur sports. This was exactly the problem I faced when I was looking for books about baseball for the three-year-old boy I mentioned earlier today. He didn't want books about kids (or furry animals) playing baseball, he wanted books about what he called "real baseball." That's why "Ballpark" suited him so well . He also enjoys "The Batboy and His Violin," by Gavin Curtis, a picture book about a boy whose father manages a team in the Negro Leagues. Both of these books are, in my opinion, way over his head, but he's so interested in the subject that he'll sit through them and ask to have them read over and over again.

Life is so much easier when 3 year olds are interested in trucks and dinosaurs...

Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
(608)&3930

I agree that the Easy Readers, especially the Step into Reading series offer a variety of sports stories for younger children. However, where I get stumped is when the Olympics come around. I can find books with the theme of baseball or soccer or maybe running but skiing? gymnastics? bob-sledding? Archery? ... lsmith at mpl.org
Received on Wed 13 Jan 1999 05:00:26 PM CST