Skydiving

Gr 3–6—Gigliotti draws readers into the most entertaining of these four titles with his lively text (e.g., "'Woo-hoo!' you scream. You're skydiving!"). Base Jumping describes the step-by-step process to follow for a proper and safe jump. It also includes quite a bit of warning about why this sport is one of the most risky—and often illegal. Bungee Jumping leaves questions unanswered, such as why inhabitants of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu began jumping with vines from towers. How do jumpers stop bouncing, end the jump, get up from a water jump, etc.? Jason Glaser's Bungee Jumping (Capstone, 1999) is a better choice. Wakeboarding has the most photos and text about female participants. It also has the strongest description of the development and history of the sport and details about the necessary equipment, but Tracy Maurer's Wakeboarding (Rourke, 2003) is more complete. The books have excellent, action-filled color photos.—Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI