BMX Racing and Freestyle (Extreme Sports)

From School Library Journal Grade 3-6-These three series titles are geared toward youngsters interested in racing or climbing. Each volume includes a guide telling readers "How To Use This Book" as well as background information on how the sport developed, safety equipment and precautions, descriptions of the sport and variations, current racers or climbers, how to begin, and competitions. Excellent-quality, full-color photographs of racers and climbers help readers understand the skills and terms mentioned. Short simple sentences present the factual information. Fact boxes and explanations of terms add to the appeal. However, grammatical and typographical errors are common, and not all of the Internet sites are active. Darren Lott's Street Luge Survival Guide (Gravity, 1998) is similar in scope but does not include "buttboarding." Edward A. Voeller's Sport Climbing (Capstone, 2000) is comparable to Nichols's title, but is intended for more advanced readers and provides more advanced skills. The currency of competitions and competitors-both amateur and professional-adds to the appeal of these books.