Spark

Capstone's World Cup Rivals offers reviews of professional soccer teams that have faced each other in championship matches. Often the profiled teams are both neighbors and longtime rivals, as in the case with this offering. Histories of both teams, profiles of their star players, and a running recap of the featured game are presented in brief chapters . . . .The books features eye-catching covers, and the vivid interior photos plus the familiar subject should make this a popular choice.

Interesting facts about popular celebrities are presented in these volumes. In the simple narratives readers learn that Ariana Grande’s favorite holiday is Halloween, Beyoncé owns two beehives, Dwayne Johnson plays the ukulele, Harry Styles was the first man to appear alone on the cover of Vogue, Lionel Messi’s favorite color is red, and Selena Gomez eats Oreos with a fork. Fans will be eager to read more about their idols and selectors should consider where there is a demand. 

Students seeking a lighthearted, fact-filled series on this popular topic will want to check this out. Succinct but not choppy sentences make for fast-paced, smooth reading, and a comfortable number of short sentences (roughly four to eight per page), with plenty of white space and dynamic illustrations, provide an accessible format for striving readers. Facts plus cheeky, sometimes gross, humor should captivate. Recommended for public and school libraries.

This series spends time shedding light on all the people who make our favorite games possible from behind the scenes. In “Homers and Hot Dogs,” readers learn that it’s not just the trainers and coaches, but the grounds crew, concessions workers, and even the fans who make game day come alive. “Strikers and Scarves” has a good deal of focus on groundskeepers, security personnel, and stadium technicians, as well as broadcasters and referees.