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CM . . .
. Volume XI Number 15 . . . .April 1, 2005
excerpt:
Part of the "Sports in Action" series, these titles, averaging 14 chapters, provide readers with general information about each sport—the basic rules and techniques, equipment and clothing required, and both warm-up and training exercises. Though there are many forms of taekwondo, a 2000-year-old martial art that originated in Korea, the style endorsed by the World Taekwondo Federation is the one featured in Taekwondo in Action. Readers will learn about the coloured belt levels as well as the positions and moves. Firstly, the authors focus on hand and foot positions, then provide step-by-step moves for kicks and strikes and more complex footwork. Combination moves are used to block an attack, while forms are movements that are arranged in a pattern so that they flow into one another. Finally, a series of steps describing no contact, light contact and free sparring (full contact) is provided. At the end of the book, there is information about how competitions are judged. Skiing in Action highlights the basics of alpine (downhill) skiing. Topics in the book include what to expect at a ski resort—types of lifts, lift tickets, kinds of slopes and runs, the duties of the ski patrols—and tips for skiing various terrains. Ski terms and moves, such as skating, herringbone climb, side-stepping and carving turns are explained along with types of competitions which range from slalom to ski jumping and aerials. Field events are those that test athletes' throwing and jumping abilities. In Field Events in Action, readers will learn about the long, triple and high jumps, the pole vault, and the javelin, discus, shot put and hammer throws, with a double-page spread devoted to each event. The importance of proper footwear, warm-up exercises and training drills is also discussed. Finally, multi-event competitions—decathlons, heptathlons and pentathlons—are explained. Track events are foot races that test a runner's speed. In Track Events in Action, the focus is on the track venue itself, athletes' clothing and footwear, training tips to avoid injury and dehydration, and the various types of track events- sprints, hurdles, relays, mid-and long-distance races and steeplechase. The text is fairly large, the explanations easy to comprehend. Abundant colour photographs, diagrams and sketches clarify the concepts presented and a table of contents, an index and a glossary are included. These books not only serve to provide information for those readers who might be interested in trying the featured sport, but also serve to help readers gain a clearer understanding when viewing the sport on television. Highly Recommended. Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St. Paul, MB.
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