Reviewed with Jeff Savage's Vince Carter.Gr. 5-8. These two titles in the Sports Great series offer brief biographies of their subjects for report research or casual reading. Each title begins with a chapter that presents the athlete's accomplishments and emphasizes his fame. Subsequent chapters follow the athletes throughout childhood, the beginnings of their careers, and on into the pros. Both titles conclude with the player's statistics through the 2001 season. Macnow tends to gush a bit too much when emphasizing Texas Ranger shortstop Rodriquez's integrity and character, and the black-and-white photos in both books are mediocre. But the titles are filled with interesting quotes from the players, as well as their family and friends, and newcomers will find some sports lingo defined.
