Cycling Champion

Description

Austin is tired of living in his older brothers' shadows. When he learns about a local bike race Austin knows this is his chance to win his own trophy and prove he's as good as his brothers. But before he can claim his trophy Austin has to find a bike train and learn the course. With the help of a new friend and a local cycling club Austin learns there's a lot more to racing than just winning.

Passionate comic book artist Eduardo Garcia works from his studio (Red Wolf Studio) in Mexico City with the help of his talented son, Sebastian Inaki. He has brought his talent, pencils, and colors to varied projects for many titles and publishers such as Scooby-Doo (DC Comics), Spiderman Family (Marvel), Flash Gordon (Aberdeen), and Speed Racer (IDW). Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler - or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps - literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers.

This series does a nice job of spreading the wealth when it comes to sports fiction. Instead of concentrating on the typical mainstays, the series provides interesting storylines pertaining to some lesser publicized sports. The books are broken down into short chapters with plenty of white space for easy reading. The characters and plots are believable as each story escalates to its satisfactory conclusion. Full-page, b&w illustrations help the characters come to life and provide visual context. This high-interest, low-level series is sure to be a hit with many readers, but expect sports enthusiasts and Matt Christopher fans to be the first in line to get their hands on these books. Additional features include discussion questions, writing prompts, and additional information about each sport. Recommended.-- "Library Media Connection"