Chad Ochocinco

April 1, 2012

Gr 2-4-Elementary school sport fans and reluctant readers will eagerly snatch up these short but satisfying biographies. They feature top athletes who overcame adversity (many of them grew up in a poor neighborhoods or were considered too small to succeed), and, through determination, hard work, and talent, became sports stars. MacRae covers their career paths as well as their charitable works and other activities. Some of the profiled men's "hero" status is questionable, though the titles do address on-field antics and off-field misconduct. In David Wright, for example, MacRae explains, "Some athletes get in trouble off the field. They might think they can get away with breaking laws or behaving badly because they are famous." Captioned action photos, a page of "Fun Facts," and a useful glossary appear in every volume.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2012
Grades 3-5 Chad Ochocinco is the kind of personality known even to people who dislike sportsmaybe you saw his dating reality show or his guest spot on Dancing with the Stars. As MacRae points out in this quick, surface-skimming entry in the Sports Heroes series, Ochocinco remembers that football is a game first and foremost. Hence the playing to the camera, the irreverent interviews, and the elaborate touchdown celebrations that have consistently gotten him into trouble. (Example: when he held up a sign reading Dear NFL, please don't fine me again and was duly fined $10,000.) Mostly, though, MacRae sticks to kid-friendly stuff: his upbringing with his grandmother, how his low grades almost quashed a promising career, joining the Bengals (known as the Bungles before the arrival of Ochocinco and quarterback Carson Palmer), and the story behind his surname change from Johnson to Ochocinco. The small format makes this good for young hands, and the electric photographs are just what the doc ordered for sports fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)