Shooting for Success With Sports Fans

Whoever determines such things has declared today the beginning of National Sports Trivia Week. With hockey in full swing and basketball back in the game, it’s a good time to look at a few new titles in the field of sports. On deck: Next week, Times staff writer Kevin Baxter warms up for baseball season with books about our national pastime.

The Scoop on Hoops

I want to thank you for helping me to exceed my goal.

As you can see, your endless talk and chatter only served as fuel for my fire.

And judging from the score, you just got burned.

--Charles R. Smith Jr.

“Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms”

Anyone who loves the rhythm of language and of the schoolyard game--its street personality, its “Hoop Dreams” persona--should check out “Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms” (Dutton Children’s Books, $15.99). The text and gritty photographs, both by Charles R. Smith Jr., combine with unconventional graphic design in the book’s layout to create an edgy attitude.

Inspired by his love for African American rhythms in writing and jazz, Smith wrote his tribute to The Game for ages 8 and older, but adult sports lovers and weekend warriors of any age will feel the book’s magic.

Los Angeles native Smith now lives in Brooklyn, both good places for a fan of the game in its purest forms--no work stoppages or million-dollar endorsements, just high school and college hopefuls and street warriors. Smith’s essay “Inspirations” helps explain how the first-time author arrived at this beautiful homage.

For newcomers to the pro game, Beech Tree Books has introductions to two of basketball’s brightest lights, past and future: “Michael Jordan” and “Kobe Bryant” ($3.95 each). Both softcover books by sportswriter Richard J. Brenner, geared for fans as young as 6, are chock-full of action photos (color and black-and-white) and an easy-to-follow narrative filled with fun facts. The slim 8-inch-square volumes are easy to handle.

Each biography begins with the player as a child and proceeds to the present. The center spread opens to an 8-by-16-inch color poster suitable for hanging. Happily, removing it from the staples won’t mangle the picture too much or leave the book with missing pages of text.

Brenner couldn’t be more generous in his assessment of Jordan, 36, but then, with 10 NBA scoring titles and six championship rings, the former Chicago Bulls guard (he retired in January) is probably the best player ever.

In “Kobe Bryant,” Brenner is no more critical of his subject. In fact, both books are love fests for devoted fans, not objective biographies.

Still, the men’s stories are compelling, even if certain facts (such as their birth dates or heights) are omitted. It would also have been nice to have a timeline for each player. The Bryant book has colorful quotes in it from the player himself but neglects to mention where Lower Merion High School is. (It’s in Pennsylvania.) The Jordan book has fun quotes from other players and some neat personal information about No. 23.

The books are complementary. “Kobe Bryant” reports that the young Kobe, whose family lived in Italy when he was young, learned basketball not only by watching his dad--former NBA player Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant--at work, but also in large part by watching videos of NBA games, and copying styles--including Jordan’s.

Bryant, now 20, was the youngest player to start an NBA All-Star game when he played last year and the youngest in an NBA game when he debuted in 1996. With a six-year, $70.9-million contract, the Lakers guard is a superstar whom many coaches and fans see as a legend in the making. Could he be the next Jordan?

Beyond their basketball skills, Jordan and Bryant are interesting subjects for young readers. Part of what makes the Laker forward remarkable is that he was drafted right out of high school; in other words, he didn’t go to college, which some adults may not consider to be role-model material. Still, the book reports, Bryant has been taking classes at UCLA. Jordan attended the University of North Carolina for a couple of years before going pro.

A Slice of the Ice

The new Hockey’s Hottest series, from Canada’s Kids Can Press, is a simple introduction for winter sports fans, ages 6 to 9. “Hockey’s Hottest: Defensemen” features 15 of the game’s best blue-liners, each with his own two-page spread of facts and color pictures. Which defenseman has perfect posture? Who’s played in eight All-Star games?

“Hockey’s Hottest: Centers” is also available; both are by James Duplacey. Each $4.95 book (in the same easy-to-handle softcover format as the basketball books) features a pullout full-color banner and addresses (mail and e-mail) to write to a favorite player. The series’ “Wingers” and “Goalies” are due out soon.

* For more on reading, see Section Gee for reviews written by children about their favorite books and a new story starting every Sunday. E6