Reading Jack Buck’s “That’s a Winner!” adds a whole new dimension to anybody’s knowledge about major league baseball and NFL football.  Any of us who have listened to St. Louis Cardinal games on radio over the years know who Jack Buck is.  Some of us may still remember that he was a major figure in both the television and radio broadcasting of NFL games as well.  “That’s a Winner” is his autobiography, written with the help of two sportswriters, Rob Rains and Bob Broeg. 

Jack Buck’s book was not written for children.  It is probably best appreciated by an older person who can recall with nostalgia much of what he writes about.  On the other hand, for young sports enthusiasts, especially if they express any interest in sports broadcasting, this is a book for them. 

The vocabulary and language of the book is not highly sophisticated. But for a young person who is not into celebrities of the past and is unfamiliar with the timelines for events over the past fifty years or so, this book would best be read and discussed with an adult who was reading the book simultaneously. 

A parent need not fear that there is anything untoward in the book.  Jack Buck keeps his language clean as well as the stories he tells. The message that comes through is to respect others and to steer away from saying anything bad about the people you work for and with.  Jack Buck shows great appreciation for the impact his parents had on his life and displays affection for his children and pride in their accomplishments. 

“That’s a Winner!” may provide a “hook” for that kid who thinks sports have nothing to do with history, politics, business, and, even, literacy. 
 
 

Over the past couple of years, Tiger Woods has become an international celebrity.  Even those who aren’t really into golf as a sport have developed an interest in it because of the uniqueness of Tiger Woods.  Matt Christopher tells Tiger’s story in a paperback for kids, called “On the Course with Tiger Woods.” 

The book tells about Tiger’s father, Earl, and the role he played in developing the talents of his young son who displayed an uncanny interest and skill in playing golf from infancy.  It also tells about Lee Elder, an early African American professional golfer, and the influence that his life provided for Tiger, as he grew older. 

In telling Tiger’s story, the book provides a primer on golf terminology, a brief history of golf, and a little bit about strategies in playing the game. There are black and white photographs included of different events in Tiger’s career.  Matt Christopher tells an interesting and readable story for kids, even for those who are unlikely ever to play golf.  They will emerge from a reading to become better-informed spectators of a sport that seems to be becoming increasingly more popular. 
 
 

The boxcar children books have been around for decades.  Gertrude Chandler Warner, the creator and first author of the series, has been dead since 1979. The books were so popular with children, however, that the publisher has commissioned other authors to continue to write new stories for the series, which now numbers over forty books.  The stories tend to appeal to good readers in third grade and to both normal and struggling readers in fourth and fifth grades.

“The Honeybee Mystery,” this year’s addition to the series, remains consistent with the formula underlying the 40 or so earlier books.  The four Alden family siblings, two boys and two girls, ranging in age from six to fourteen, are the main actors in the stories, providing a figure for readers of varying ages to identify with.  The kids model resourcefulness, respect for others, humor, and other positive qualities for young readers to imitate. As in many children’s books, the young characters show respect for adults but, often, display the ability to resolve problems that tend to stymie grown-ups.

“The Honeybee Mystery” provides for learning beyond just the entertainment value of the story.  There is learning related to the raising of bees, the harvesting of honey, and the damage resulting from the misuse of pesticides. There is an activity section at the end of the book that includes puzzles, word games, mazes, etc.

Over the decades, the boxcar children, like Blondie and Dagwood in the funny papers, remain always the same age, but the environment in which the action occurs is updated.  As children read the newer additions to the series, they may like the characters and the plots enough to want to go back and read some or all of the older stories. 
 
 

Some kids like fantasy and they like to read several books that have familiar characters and plots. The Magic Tree House series is aimed at these kids. The premise in each of the stories is that a brother and sister from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, have a tree house in the woods behind their home. The house just happens to be filled with books. The kids find out that the magic tree house belongs to Morgan le Fey, a librarian from King Arthur’s Camelot.  She travels through time and space collecting books.

All the kids have to do is touch a picture in one of the books, wish to be there, and they are magically transported to the time and location depicted.  Accept that premise and the possible adventures that develop are almost limitless.  Time travel has always appealed to adult imagination.  Why not to kids?

If your kids buy into the series, they’re plenty of spin off advantages.  First of all, the reading level of the books is on the low side for middle graders who might be having some difficulty becoming fluent readers.  Events of history are sugarcoated as they are presented in the stories. The books are well illustrated and short enough to not be threatening to reluctant readers.   For those parents who are working with their children in reading, the stories are quick to read as the parent prepares to do a guided reading lesson.  They also provide plenty of opportunity for broadening discussion and expanding vocabulary as part of the reading activity.