Editorial Review

Even with strikes, allegations of drug use, and players’ other legal problems, baseball is still a popular sport for all ages. This encyclopedia is aimed at elementary-school-age children and covers players of the past (mostly Hall of Famers) and present, teams, baseball terms, and some ballparks. The authors are all sports writers for young readers (two have written for Sports Illustrated for Kids) and definitely convey an enthusiasm for their subject. All the articles are fairly short, with some meriting a longer boxed treatment. The index at the end of each volume is for the whole set. Appendixes in each volume give statistics or charts related to some of the entries in that volume (for example, a list of rookies of the year is at the end of the volume containing R). Editing is a bit lax, as there are typos scattered throughout the volumes, and the cross-referencing is not consistent. The definitions of baseball terms are probably the most useful entries in this book. They are clearly written for anyone, but especially for young readers. Articles on current players are factual and do not shy away from issues such as performance-enhancing drugs, but they are very brief and may not be enough for fans. The articles on former players are about the same length and would satisfy a young fan’s curiosity about a reference to a player from the past. The photos are well chosen, and the layout is expertly done. A good choice for school and public libraries.