THE GREATEST MOMENTS IN SPORTS
by Len Berman
Packaged with a magazine-style cover, this sports book is loaded with hype. Bold display types, bright colors and superlative enticements will lure readers to discover the stories behind such moments as “Muhammad Ali’s Shocking Championship Upset.” The author makes a strong push to diversity by including 24 different sports, baseball leading the way with five moments listed as “The Greatest.” Only a few female athletes make the cut, yet there’s room for 1973’s fluff media event, “The Battle of the Sexes” between tennis star Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Labeling any event as “The Greatest” opens the door for disagreement, and the overall relevancy will be a problem for today’s teens. Will Babe Ruth always be included in “Greatest” conversations even 74 years after his last at-bat? The 1969 Mets may have been a miracle story 40 years ago, but detailing first baseman Marv Thornberry’s feats feels trivial now. Due to a juvenile tone, the target audience seems to be lower middle school, but they may not care about Granddad’s heroes. (Nonfiction. 12-14)