Stars of Men's Soccer

Series Review: Full of infographics and high-energy sports photography, these hi-lo books will excite new soccer fans. Simple, concise text is broken up frequently by charts, graphs, and visual learning essentials. Stars of Women’s Soccer and Stars of Men’s Soccer include past and current popular players, with short bios of their careers. While these specific titles very clearly identify the soccer stars with names alongside their photos, others in the series don’t call out the players in the photos. Soccer Rules! will be particularly helpful to those just learning about soccer, with history, rules, and formations explained through text and infographics. Soccer’s Biggest Moments will provides readers with an understanding of the scope of the sport: a cease-fire was declared during a civil war in Nigeria in 1967 so civilians and soldiers could watch Pelé play in peace. The frequent graphic breaks between text and sampling of information will grab readers’ attention, particularly if they are just starting to familiarize themselves with the most popular sport in the world. VERDICT A fine, but not essential, addition to nonfiction collections.