The Sports-Graphics Jr. series presents STEM concepts in a winning combination of high-interest sports topics and infographics that promote visual literacy. Each volume breaks down into four or five sections that feature short explanatory text passages and a range of complementary graphs, charts, models, maps, and other infographics that display spores faces and figures in crisp, boldly colored digital designs. Angles of Achievement investigates types of angles and arcs and how they make up sporting equipment as well as how they play an integral role in sport techniques, such as sprinters’ acceleration angles and launch angles in baseball batting. Every Second Counts spotlights time in sports, from timed segments in games to the importance of speed and velocity to training for victory and setting records. Shape of the Game looks at basic shapes in sporting equipment, different shapes and dimensions of sports fields and courts, and how shifting shapes in sports creates different kinds of games, such as pickleball versus tennis. Strategic Statistics explains how sports data are studied and how their resulting statistics are used by sports analysts to assign team rankings, predict player performance, set ticket prices, and make more sports-industry decisions. A related activity concludes each book in this appealing, real-world series.

Gr 2-4–These well-crafted books use diagrams, charts, and maps to illustrate STEM concepts in sports, such as shapes, statistics, and forms of measurement. ­Angles and arcs can be seen in sports equipment and playing fields. In Shape of the Game, a clearly labeled diagram asks readers to discern “how many polygons are on a baseball field.” Innovative advances in equipment, such as football helmets, can make sports safer. A colorful map in Engineering a Win locates the “top six loudest stadiums” in the U.S. Each book includes a follow-up activity. Every Second Counts suggests readers time themselves in an activity they enjoy, such as running, and chart their times over five days. VERDICT This series is sure to win fans among teachers and young readers alike!