Sports Pages
by Arnold Adoff
1986
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9 Thirty-seven short blank verse poems depict the experiences of young athletes in a variety of sports: the exhilarations ("You get your point; your score; your wish. Swish. /Sweet"), the disappointments ("Oh /please forgive this bitter moment of mine as my /face disappears into the mud of the one yard line"), the pains ("the doctor says I will be /fine. /I'll play again. /He says this as he /sits on his padded /leather chair that /can swivel 360 de /grees. /Oh /why can't knees?"). The power of the book lies in the fluidity of language, the intensity of feeling and the overall design. Although the poems can be read individually, the sense of flow from poem to poem gives unity and a special satisfaction to reading them. Gray and white impressionistic drawings accompany each poem and focus on a single athlete facing the challenge of his or her sport. Lillian Morrison's The Sidewalk Racer and Other Poems of Sports and Motion (Lothrop, 1977) also deals with this subject; however both of these fine books belong in school and public library collections. Judy Greenfield, Rye Free Reading Room, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Grade 5-9 Thirty-seven short blank verse poems depict the experiences of young athletes in a variety of sports: the exhilarations ("You get your point; your score; your wish. Swish. /Sweet"), the disappointments ("Oh /please forgive this bitter moment of mine as my /face disappears into the mud of the one yard line"), the pains ("the doctor says I will be /fine. /I'll play again. /He says this as he /sits on his padded /leather chair that /can swivel 360 de /grees. /Oh /why can't knees?"). The power of the book lies in the fluidity of language, the intensity of feeling and the overall design. Although the poems can be read individually, the sense of flow from poem to poem gives unity and a special satisfaction to reading them. Gray and white impressionistic drawings accompany each poem and focus on a single athlete facing the challenge of his or her sport. Lillian Morrison's The Sidewalk Racer and Other Poems of Sports and Motion (Lothrop, 1977) also deals with this subject; however both of these fine books belong in school and public library collections. Judy Greenfield, Rye Free Reading Room, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
