Sports and Entertainment of the 2000s

Decade studies are a staple of many social studies curricula. This series covers the years 2000 through 2009. Clearly written narratives are interspersed with color photographs, informative sidebars, and occasional pro/con “perspectives” arguments that draw on editorials and primary sources. Each volume shares a timeline and “Words of the 2000s” appendix; individual volumes include a list of important people and a brief but well-chosen “For Further Research” list of books and websites. There is some overlap between volumes. More significantly, decisions of where to cover certain topics seem somewhat arbitrary which could effect location of specific information. Nevertheless, the series provides a solid overview of an eventful decade.

Decade studies are a staple of many social studies curricula. This series covers the years 2000 through 2009. Clearly written narratives are interspersed with color photographs, informative sidebars, and occasional pro/con “perspectives” arguments that draw on editorials and primary sources. Each volume shares a timeline and “Words of the 2000s” appendix; individual volumes include a list of important people and a brief but well-chosen “For Further Research” list of books and websites. There is some overlap between volumes. More significantly, decisions of where to cover certain topics seem somewhat arbitrary which could effect location of specific information. Nevertheless, the series provides a solid overview of an eventful decade.

Gr. 9–12 Written by various well-known nonfiction authors, this series attempts to describe life during various periods of history, through the social history of the common man; merchant, farmer, artisan, and slave. Using letters, diaries, coins, paintings, and other items of the historical periods, the authors endeavor to reconstruct the daily struggles of the average person. Life in a Nazi Concentration Camp is the most wrenching. Each volume has a timeline of the subject covered. The books are replete with numerous sidebars and illustrations giving more information to the topic. Bibliography. Websites.

Gr 8 Up–This series recaps important events, trends, and scientific and cultural milestones of the first decade of the 21st century. Authors objectively describe their topics and give enough background to aid reader understanding but provide little analysis about either contemporaneous reactions or historical importance. Occasional “Perspectives” sidebars offer viewpoints on controversial issues. There is considerable overlap among the books, particularly on the subjects of technology and terrorism. The books are sparsely illustrated with average-quality photos that add little. Much of the material will become dated quickly, making the series of little use to most students.

For most librarians, the first decade of the 2000s seems like yesterday, but for today’s teens, it constitutes most of their lives. This series, aimed at report writers rather than browsers, looks back on the 2000s and organizes the events and people into topics. Each title begins with the same time line, includes a list of “Words of the 2000s” (chad and hashtag), and tend to share certain topics such as Facebook, Y2K, and digital music downloading. Catastrophic Events of the 2000s of course discusses 9/11 but also covers natural catastrophes such as tsunamis and volcanoes, diseases like SARS, and travel disasters. Cultural Milestones of the 2000s, with its cover showing two men getting married, talks about pop-culture trends like Harry Potter as well as economic, scientific, and political events. = Science and Technology of the 2000s has significant overlap with other titles and discusses scientific discoveries in genetics, nanotechnology, space, and computing; it does a nice job of explaining tough concepts. Sports and Entertainment of the 2000s emphasizes entertainment over sports, discussing reality TV, video games, moviemaking, and inventions that made for drastic changes, such as IMAX and the iPod. An interesting feature of each book is brief side-by-side opposing viewpoints; for example, one contrasts views on whether there has been a “Muslim backlash.” These well-documented and clearly presented books make solid, compact resources for students.

For most librarians, the first decade of the 2000s seems like yesterday, but for today’s teens, it constitutes most of their lives. This series, aimed at report writers rather than browsers, looks back on the 2000s and organizes the events and people into topics. Each title begins with the same time line, includes a list of “Words of the 2000s” (chad and hashtag), and tend to share certain topics such as Facebook, Y2K, and digital music downloading. Catastrophic Events of the 2000s of course discusses 9/11 but also covers natural catastrophes such as tsunamis and volcanoes, diseases like SARS, and travel disasters. Cultural Milestones of the 2000s, with its cover showing two men getting married, talks about pop-culture trends like Harry Potter as well as economic, scientific, and political events. = Science and Technology of the 2000s has significant overlap with other titles and discusses scientific discoveries in genetics, nanotechnology, space, and computing; it does a nice job of explaining tough concepts. Sports and Entertainment of the 2000s emphasizes entertainment over sports, discussing reality TV, video games, moviemaking, and inventions that made for drastic changes, such as IMAX and the iPod. An interesting feature of each book is brief side-by-side opposing viewpoints; for example, one contrasts views on whether there has been a “Muslim backlash.” These well-documented and clearly presented books make solid, compact resources for students.