John Madden's Heroes of Football
Grade 3–6—This title traces the evolution of professional football from its humble beginnings as an Ivy League-college pastime in the 19th century to one of the most popular spectator sports in the United States. In a somewhat dry narrative, Madden focuses on the development of the game, presenting chronological chapters that introduce significant time periods and identify key players and teams. The text emphasizes rules, prominent athletes, and strategies with sidebars and full-color photographs offering additional information. The author's name recognition through video games and his visibility as a sports commentator will be a natural lure for young readers. This clear, well-organized account is appropriate for report writers and is a solid choice for libraries needing to update their sports-history collections.—Michael Giller, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, GreenvilleCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.