Don't Break the Balance Beam!

Description

Kenzie's super strength makes her a super tumbler. But it causes all sorts of problems on the balance beam. When she doesn't control her strength, she falls off or even worse. If she doesn't learn to control her strength soon, all of her teammates will be laughing and saying one thing: don't break the balance beam!

Jessica Gunderson grew up in the small town of Washburn, North Dakota. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota and an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has written more than fifty books for young readers. Her book Ropes of Revolution won the 2008 Moonbeam Award for best graphic novel. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and cat.

At the Victory School for Super Athletes, every student has superpowers. These special gifts translate into trouble in real life when characters use them unwisely. Each title focuses on a different sport, and each features a different main character, who also makes cameo appearances in other titles. The series has strong eye-appeal, character interviews, and online games and puzzles. However, all this glitz cannot make up for the preachy tone and formulaic storylines. Readers may have a hard time identifying with gifted athletes who basically create their own problems Glossary. Timeline. Additional Selection.-- "Library Media Connection" Jessica attends a special school for gifted athletes. Her particular ability lies in her super strength: her leg power allows her to fly into the air when she does flips, handsprings, and cartwheels. Her problem is controlling her strength, and she is horribly embarrassed in front of a big audience when she pushes off so hard into a back handspring that she breaks the balance beam. Her teammates jeer at her, except for her cheerleader friend, who remembers when she jumped so high in a pep rally that she got stuck in the basketball hoop. In a predictable close, Jessica works hard and triumphs at last. Told in brief chapters with spacious type, the drama of being humiliated will grab the clumsy as well as the athletic. The drawings on every page feature exaggerated characters with big, cartoonish eyes, but they capture both the incredible physical feats and the inner turmoil with subtle body language. An accessible entry in the new Sports Illustrated Kids: Victory School Superstars series.-- "Booklist"