BILL PICKETT

With the superfluous subtitle ``African-American Rodeo Cowboy,'' this entry in the Legendary Heroes of the Wild West series should prove interesting not only to its targeted audience of less-able readers, but to others as well. Sanford and Green tell how Pickett, the oldest of 13 children, invented his technique of catching a steer by the horns, twisting its head up, and clamping its upper lip with his teeth until the steer toppled over. His unorthodox method soon made him a celebrity who traveled the world. Although ``bulldogging'' was eventually outlawed as being too cruel, Pickett went on to become the first African-American to be inducted into the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Pickett's stunt will draw readers in initially, but his life story is inspiring enough to keep them. (Nonfiction. 9-15)