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Exercise!

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What is summer without some fun in the great outdoors? Kid’s should get wet, they should get sweaty, and they should obtain that healthy glow of summer (protected from burning by sunscreen, of course). My kids already have some new outdoor toys to help encourage that interest–Amanda has a skateboard, courtesy of her grandparents’ recent visit; and Kyle has been whacking away with his flimsy plastic golf clubs, and is waiting patiently for a free weekend when Dad can teach him to hit with the new whiffle ball and bat.

Amanda has just finished her soccer season in an intense rush (taking 2nd place in their division tournament, which was reschsoccer.jpgeduled due to rain twice and finally ended on Sunday). I had her look at How Soccer Works for me last week, and before her last series of games in the tournament, she was telling me how it was important to have a good attitude when you’re playing–how if you picture yourself making a goal, you’ll be able to get it in. There is a chapter on the mind, and it doesn’t exactly say that, but can I admit that I haven’t seen Amanda play that well in the four years that she’s been in serious team play? She scored a goal, and made a few other attempts or passes right by the goal, so whatever it was seemed to be working.

This book features boys and girls in action, using bright cartoon drawings, and photos of real kids and athletes, so either sex will feel as if the book applies to them. In addition to the head game, topics covered include the history of the sport and the ball, basic moves and advanced strategies, and a look at the gear. There’s also a comprehensive glossary in the back and a section on the World Cup.

How Baseball Works addresses this sport in the same way. The pictures are more heavily weighted toward male figures, but there are girls in action as well. The section on the tools includes an experiment to help find your bat’s sweet spot. Pictures and diagrams show how to throw using a variety of pitches. There are features about the first women’s leagues and baseball greats (both players and ballfields), and controversial practices such as corking the bat and pumping baseball.jpgup on drugs are addressed in sidebars throughout the book.

Another use of books in this series is as an introduction to the sport–as a spectator or a player. On the first page of both books, a girl has a cartoon bubble coming out of her mouth saying, “Psssst. You don’t have to be a baseball (or soccer) fanatic to read this book. The rules and regs and baseball (or soccer) talk are decoded on page 61.”

The author, Keltie Thomas, has also written other books on basketball and hockey in the How Sports Work series if those sports are what interests your kid. I have reviewed several other books by Maple Tree Press in the past (Smartopedia, This is My Planet, and some science books).  They have all been terrific and do uphold their goal of “offering bright, inventive books on a wide range of subjects, including animals, sports, folktales, humor, health and fitness, science, and history.”

Would your eight to twelve-year-old like to find out more about the nitty gritty of of How Soccer Works or How Baseball Works? Three of you (U.S. addresses only) will be selected to win both of these books. Leave a comment, and then check back on June 24 to find out all the winners of the Creative Summer Days giveaway.

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143 Comments

  9. My nephew is a baseball freak; the perfect birhtday gift in August; perhaps I could take a peak also. thanks Sw

    Reply

  11. My son just had his last baseball game of the season yesterday and he would love this book. He is a struggling baseball player right now but is only six.

    Reply

  17. I’d love to win this for my oldest son. He is just now getting into sports, so this would be great for him.

    Thanks for the contest!

    Reply

  20. My 4 year old daughter is trying soccer this summer for the first time. I would love to have something to read to her before her first session.

    Reply

  40. Being a Health and Physical Education teacher I know how inmportant physical activity is!! It’s never a bad idea to promote it any way you can!!

    Thank you for the chance to win!!!

    Reply

  51. oh man…..my boys, who are just now getting into soccer and basketball and baseball, would really get some use out of these! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  52. my husband and i need to learn about soccer because we’re getting an exchange student who loves/wants to play soccer and we know nothing

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  59. my 10-year-old daughter is trying to find her “sport,” she says she’s not crazy for basketball, and wants to learn about soccer, which she enjoys playing at school. These books look like a great way to get our book lovers into sports, and our sports lovers into books!

    Reply

  66. A great gift that helps motivate the mind of children. Thanks for having a gift that help in the learning process

    Reply

  69. My son would love this.I am originally from Germany,born and raised there.Everytime we go home to visit my family we spend a lot of time on the soccer field,its a big thing in my family.My son is starting to be interested in it and would propably love this prize.Thank you for the contest.

    Reply

  82. My boys think they know everything about both baseball and soccer, but Nick loves to read so much (and he loves sports so much) these would be perfect for him.

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  93. I would love this for my son, but it would be great so I could read and actually know what is going on, thans

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  94. My son is really influenced by the things that he reads. I would love to show him these books to see if they would help him to feel a little more comfortable with trying a new sport.

    owatz (at) telus (dot) net

    Reply

  98. We’d benefit from either of these books. I was raised in a place where baseball doesn’t exist, so I’m clueless on that one and I’d like to be able to offer at least some textbook help to the kids!
    And my nephew is just now getting into soccer, so I’m sure he’d devour that book!

    Reply

  108. Ohh, I would LOVE to win these! My DS just started T-ball and all this sports stuff is so new to us artsy-fartsy parents!

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  110. Both my sons are very into soccer and my oldest knows how it works in general but this would be great to teach him even more and he plays baseball as well so it would come in handy with that too as he is not as natural with baseball as he is with soccer

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  112. We would love to check out how Soccer Works! I am always looking for ways to help my daughter improve her game since she plays on a very competitive, traveling team and is entering many tournaments.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  115. Thank you for this giveaway. I would love to win the baseball book for my son. He loves baseball so much.
    Thank you and please enter me.

    Reply

  119. Sports rule in our home! Mainly, for socialization and being active! Baseball is # 1 with our sons.
    Please enter me in your fun drawing for these two sports books. All is appreciated…..Cindi

    Reply

  128. Tornado loves baseball already and we plan to start him in t ball next year! this would be a great asset as he grows

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  130. Count me in! My kids would love it and I’m sure I would learn a thing or 20…
    gkstratos @yahoo.com

    Reply

  132. These sound awesome. My son is so interested in playing with the other kids but it makes him so nervous. I think books like these would be a big help.

    Reply

  138. Oh yeah…with Eurocup 2008 going on right now, the girls in my life would love the soccer book.

    Reply