Rivers (Extreme Sports)

Gr. 3-5. The popularity of extreme sports is on the rise, attracting a younger crowd of enthusiasts than ever before. Each volume in the new eXtreme Sports series takes a brief look at four different sports, discusses safety and proper gear, and introduces the jargon so kids can talk the talk. Because street sports like skateboarding and inline skating can be done almost anywhere and require relatively inexpensive equipment, Streets will probably be the more popular of the two books. BMX riding and a street version of luge racing are also covered. In Rivers, water enthusiasts can find out about whitewater kayaking, riverboarding, and more. Safety is promoted, but Chapman seems to undermine his own advice in Streets by noting, "Helmets are not always necessary for skateboarding or inline skating, but if the intention is to perform dangerous stunts, it is advisable to wear them." For the most part, however, these are well-written sports introductions, appealing to look at, thanks to lots of exciting photographs. Be ready to hear terms like gnarly and rad. Lauren Peterson
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