From Booklist
Gr. 2^-4. Kramer introduces young readers to five of baseball's greatest hitters--Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron. For each Hall of Famer, the author offers a biographical sketch and a chart of career statistics. He explains the players' strengths and weaknesses (both on and off the field) and provides play-by-play action for significant games. A final chapter briefly profiles six other batters. The illustrations, a mix of black-and-white and color photos and drawings, help to clarify the text and, combined with short chapters and large print, make for an attractive and nonthreatening layout. Similar to other beginning nonfiction titles in this Step into Reading series (for example, Kramer's To The Top! [1993]), this will be popular with baseball fans. Kay Weisman

ANNOTATION

Brief profiles of such hard-hitting baseball players as Barry Bonds, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Sports maven S. A. Kramer's backlist favorite has been revised to include a new chapter and a cover featuring Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa—the home run kings who in 1998 broke the most famous record in all of sports, Roger Maris's 61 homers in a single season.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Susan Hepler, Ph.D.

Profiles of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds are included in this Level 5 "Step into Reading" book. Without glossing over Cobb's mean streak or Aaron's perseverance over racial discrimination, the text concentrates on each player's gift for hitting the ball out of the ballpark. Statistic lovers can pore over the one-page list that ends each profile. Stats include personal qualities such as weight, dates, lifetime batting averages, lifetime slugging averages, team played for, and greatest feats. In addition, bulleted highlights lead readers to see how each player fared in baseball's pantheon of greatests: first most, second most, third in total, and so forth. Some paintings and more photographs illustrate the substantial but easy text. This book would suit younger interested and proficient readers, but its true appeal is to older less able, mostly boy, readers who want to read about baseball. 2094 (orig. 1995), Random House, and Ages 7 to 12.

Children's Literature - Childrens Literature