Sports Illustrated Kids (Magazine) by Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated Kids
by Sports Illustrated
CNN Network, 1989-present

GENRE: Sports, Periodical: monthly magazine for kids

HONORS: None known

REVIEW:  In 1989 Michael Jordan adorning the cover, Sports Illustrated launched its youth version of their popular sports themed magazine. Compared to its adult counterpart, S.I. Kids still includes sports coverage and player interviews, but has a heavier emphasis on humor with the addition of sports themed comics and athletic photos with humorous captions and a mascot named Buzz Beamer.

OPINION: S.I. Kids is a great magazine for young sports fans. As with the original Sports Illustrated, S.I. Kids seems to be mostly targeted at boys, which is nice since it seems that most magazines are for a female audience.

IDEAS: Use the photo caption idea used in the magazine and develop a program to provide photos that tweens can caption. 

Wii Sports Resort (Video Game) for Nintendo

Wii Sports Resort
for Nintendo Wii
Nintendo EAD, 2009

GENRE: Sports, Video Game, Exercise

HONORS: None known

REVIEW:  Wii Sports Resort is the sequel to the popular Wii Sports that was sold as an in-box companion to the Wii upon its debut in 2006. Wii Sports Resort features new and different sporting events, including archery, wakeboarding, golf and table tennis, and requires the addition of the Wii Motion Plus add-on to the original Wiimote to provide greater accuracy and recognition of movement.

OPINION: I love videogames that can get kids (and adults) off the couch in order to play them, and Wii Sports Resort is a great active game. Actual workout programs have been designed around this game since it can serve as exercise that doesn’t feel or seem like exercise. The game can be played by up to 4 players at a time and can teach cooperation, teamwork as well as friendly competition.

IDEAS: Video game events are popular among the tween age group and space and equipment provided, this would be the perfect game for such an event.

Epic Adventure: Epic Climbs by John Cleare

Epic Adventure: Epic Climbs
by John Cleare
Kingfisher, 2010

GENRE: Non-Fiction, Sports

HONORS: None known

REVIEW: Great Climbs offers a look into climbing the world’s tallest mountains, including  Everest, K2 and the Matterhorn. It is rich with pictures and maps of the mountains so that readers can visualize the paths to the top and where they would stop along the way, as well as detailed descriptions and pictures of the gear required to reach the top.

OPINION: After reading about climbing Everest in Roland Smith’s novel Peak, I was excited to stumble upon this book while browsing the non-fiction section. I was excited to be able to see what “crampons” actually were, and see the route and placement of the camps that were actually described in the book.

IDEAS: This could be used as a companion for Peak, or in a display highlighting various sports or outdoor adventures.