March 2006

Dear Fellow Book Lovers:

WORLD OF PLAY

The winter Olympic Games have ended, college basketball tournaments are in progress, baseball season is around the corner, and spring will bring out more golfers and tennis players. How many hours will children and young adults spend in front of the television watching these various sports events? How can librarians and teachers use their interests in these events to promote reading and physical activity?

Most avid sports fans will migrate toward nonfiction that deals specifically with the sport they care about the most. They will ask for a biography about their favorite basketball or tennis player. I’ve even had young readers request books about local sports heroes that I didn’t even know existed. And, certainly there were no books about them. In a situation like this, I suggest helping young readers arrange interviews with their “local heroes” and write and illustrate their own biography series. Bind them, and make them available for other readers to borrow. What satisfaction both writers and readers will gain from this activity. And, you might even have some very happy local sports figures. Some of these stars may even be willing to make an appearance in the library and talk to the young readers of their biographies.  

Ask young readers to read several sports novels (I’ve included suggested titles from Random House), and place them into the following three categories:

SPORTS FOR FUN -- Dog Team (Ages 4-8) by Gary Paulsen; Fred and Ted go Camping (Ages 5-8) by Peter Eastman; Downriver and River Thunder (Ages 12 up) by Will Hobbs; The Kite Fighters (Ages 9-12) by Linda Sue Park; Shots on Goal (Ages 14 up), Playing Without the Ball (Ages 14 up), Wrestling Sturbridge (Ages 14 up) by Rich Wallace; Cat Running (Ages 8- 12) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder; Hoops (Ages 12 up) and The Outside Shot (Ages 12 up) by Walter Dean Myers; Taming the Star Runner (Ages 12 up) by S.E. Hinton; and Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (Ages 12 up) by John Feinstein

SPORTS FOR A LIVING -- The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali (Ages 5-8) by Tonya Bolden and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie; Lord of the Deep (Ages 12 up) by Graham Salisbury; Where the Red Fern Grows (Ages 10-14) by Wilson Rawls; The Broken Blade (Ages 12 up) and Wintering (Ages 12 up) by William Durbin

SPORTS FOR SURVIVAL –- The Cay (Ages 10 up) by Theodore Taylor; The River (Ages 10-14), Brian’s Winter (Ages 10-14), Brian’s Hunt (Ages 10-14), and Brian’s Return (Ages 10-14) by Gary Paulsen. Then ask them to look at picture books that deal with:

WORLD OF PLAY: Bing: Swing (preschool) by Ted Dewan; Kite Flying (Ages 4-8) by Grace Lin; and The Berenstain Bears Ride the Thunderbolt (preschool) by Stan and Jan Berenstain. What is the relationship between the world of play and sports?    

Readers may want to make bookmarks, create special displays, make placemats for a local restaurant, and sponsor a special program that focuses on these categories of sports.

Fantasy lovers may want to concentrate on sports in works of fantasy. For example, consider the role of sports in books by Philip Pullman and Tamora Pierce. Readers will think of many more titles. Enjoy!

You may email me at pscales@bellsouth.net.