abigailbat's review against another edition
3.0
Ten short stories about sports. There's a little something for everyone here, whether you're looking for something funny ("I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter"), adventurous ("The Trophy") or poignant ("Find Your Fire"). This is a great way to sample a bunch of authors and the short stories make it easy to pick up and put down this book without losing your place.
briarrose1021's review
4.0
A collection of short stories that all center around kids in middle school who play sports, from baseball to basketball to football to MMA fighting, each story was wonderful for different reasons. My favorite, though, would have to be "I Will Destroy You, Derek Jeter" by Chris Rylander. I laughed in so many different places, most especially at the end, that it was a great story to end this book on.
My only problem with this book is that it's included in a series called "Guys Read." I get that the stereotype is that boys are going to be more likely than girls to read a book about sports, but I would think that a book published in 2012 wouldn't lean into that stereotype so much. Even in the one story that featured a female pitcher (the only story with a female protagonist), the phrase "throws like a girl" was used multiple times - and used as a put-down. Disappointing - and it cost the rating a star. Especially when I, a female, loved reading books about sports as a kid.
So, that problem aside, I enjoyed the stories, and I would encourage anyone - female or male, athlete or not - to read these short stories.
My only problem with this book is that it's included in a series called "Guys Read." I get that the stereotype is that boys are going to be more likely than girls to read a book about sports, but I would think that a book published in 2012 wouldn't lean into that stereotype so much. Even in the one story that featured a female pitcher (the only story with a female protagonist), the phrase "throws like a girl" was used multiple times - and used as a put-down. Disappointing - and it cost the rating a star. Especially when I, a female, loved reading books about sports as a kid.
So, that problem aside, I enjoyed the stories, and I would encourage anyone - female or male, athlete or not - to read these short stories.
mariab's review against another edition
4.0
I have very limited knowledge of the sports, but that is what makes this book is so wonderful. The stories are not just about sports, but about friendship, perseverance, moral character, and overcoming life challenges. While sports sets the backdrop, the true message goes a lot deeper. Which makes The Sports Pages a valuable addition to any classroom or home library.
bethmitcham's review
3.0
I liked the biography entries, and could have left most of the "how I embarrassed myself through poor sportsmanship" ones. But maybe kids like those? It's a book aimed at males, so it doesn't really matter what I thought.
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