Balls!

Gr. 4-7. This title is poised to become the ultimate source for kids on the history and construction of balls used in sports. Covered here are the balls used in basketball, soccer, football, tennis, handball, golf, volleyball, and table tennis. The final two pages consider balls used in bingo, Chinese health balls, and animals that can make themselves into balls when in danger. These somewhat eccentric inclusions fit right in with the book's light, comic tone, which prevents the package from becoming merely a dry recitation of facts about respective weights, structure, and dimpling. Illustrations on the well-designed pages are an effective mix of photographs, cartoons, and shots of athletes in action. Slightly off-topic sidebars, such as an explanation of hang time in professional basketball, also add interest, although why the author says that Michael Jordan is still an active player is a mystery.