Best Selling Books by Matt Christopher

Don''t miss this action-packed and informative look at the life and achievements of a basketball legend! Matt Christopher, the number one sports writer for kids, profiles basketball superstar Michael Jordan, covering his childhood, college career, rookie years, professional career highlights, and even his short stint in minor league baseball. Written in Matt Christopher''s easy-to-read style and complete with incredible photos and Michael Jordan''s key stats, this comprehensive biography will entertain and educate.

Freddie and his brother Dondi have always been competitive. Dondi has a job, money to spend, and girls chasing after him, and now he can even drive! But Freddie knows that he has something his brother does not: better snowboarding moves, more daring runs, and overall more advanced techniques. When Dondi challenges his brother to a run clown the very dangerous Devil''s Ravine, Freddie knows his brother has raised the stakes of their competition too high. Yet he is left with a problem: does he accept Dondi''s challenge and potentially hurt himself, or does he back away? If Freddie is leery of Devil''s Ravine, then how will Dondi fare on the slopes? The run is very risky, and Freddie must now decide if this brotherly competition, and opportunity to outshine his brother, is really worth it.

Tod is sure his new hockey stick will improve his game. But when his team loses, he realizes that good stickhandling needs practice as well as good equipment. He vows not to use the stick until he deserves it, but will he earn that right this season?

The number one sports writer for kids discusses the personal life and baseball career of Derek Jeter, the young man from Michigan who achieved his dream to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Includes career highlights and player''s stats. Illustrations.

Throughout the 1998 baseball season, two names made the headlines more than any others: Mark McGwire, the eventual home run king, and Sammy Sosa, the runner-up in a race that won the hearts of baseball fans worldwide. Yet at the end of the day, it was Sosa who walked away with the National League''s MVP award, not McGwire. Why? Because Sosa had dug the dismal 1997 Chicago Cubs out of the cellar not just with his home runs, but also with his spectacular all-around play. Yet Sosa''s contributions off the field, both in the States and in his native land, the Dominican Republic, are even more impressive. In this powerful biography of one of the most admired sluggers in baseball, Matt Christopher, the number one sports series for kids, traces Sosa''s life from his poverty-stricken childhood-when shining shoes put food on the table-to his professional career. For more information on the Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf, please see the last pages of this book.

Describes the life and career of the basketball superstar and center for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jose Mendez wants to be a great batter just like his father was when he played in the minor leagues. But every time Jose picks up the bat, disaster strikes. Will Jose ever be able to match his dad''s .375 batting average?

Charlie Abbott is the new kid in town--again. He hates everything about moving, especially trying to make new friends. Then he meets a kid called X who shares his love of skateboarding. Together, they rip some moves at the town skatepark. But then Charlie''s skateboard vanishes from his garage, and he sees X riding around on a skateboard that looks just like his! Is Charlie''s new life about to become a disaster? Passport to Reading Level 3

Dale Earnhardt, Sr. first broke onto the racing scene in 1979, when he was named Rookie of the Year. In the more than 20 years that followed, his daring driving style earned him several top honors, including his proudest moment, a victory at Daytona. On February 18th, 2001, Earnhardt had been racing in the Daytona 500, when in the final lap, he had a fatal crash. While other drivers have come and gone, the face of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., with his handlebar moustache and wide grin, will always be the face of NACAR. Get to know a legend.

When Zach takes up skateboarding, he doesn''t realize that he''s expected to look a certain way and cop a certain attitude. He''s not comfortable with any of those things. He just wants to have fun, and perhaps enter a few competitions. Will he be ostracized because he looks and acts so normal?

A biography of the enthusiastic cyclist whose racing career was interrupted by a battle with cancer before getting back on track with a Tour de France win.

Superstar running back Terrell Davis helped his team, the Denver Broncos, to two consecutive Super Bowl titles, first in 1998, then again in 1999. He holds multiple records, including those for postseason rushing average, consecutive 100-yard rushing games in the postseason, and best per-game rushing average. A unanimous Pro Bowl selection for 1999 -- his third straight year of playing in that game -- Davis was also named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press for 1999.

The number one sports writer for kids presents a biography of Julie Foudy, who was a co-captain of the Gold Medal-winning U.S. women''s Olympic soccer team in 1996 and played on the U.S. National Team that won the Women''s World Cup in 1999. Photos.

On July 10, 1999, at the end of 90 minutes of regulation play plus two 15 minute overtime periods, Briana Scurry faced the greatest challenge of her soccer career. As goalkeeper for the U.S. Women''s national team, she would be squaring off against China''s best five penalty kickers in a shootout that would determine the winners of the 1999 Women''s World Cup. The pressure was enormous -- but Briana Scurry thrives on pressure, which is one reason she''s been called the best goalkeeper in the world. Since 1994, she has proven again and again that when the heat''s on, she''ll stay cool. And that''s just what she did that steamy July day ...

The star running back of the NFL. The All-Star center leading his team to the championship. Matt Christopher delves into the life of both of these sports stars, exploring the paths they have traveled, the hardships they have overcome, and the highs and lows of their careers. Each book contains exciting black-and-white action photos, the player''s stats, and a list of his career highlights. Real-life sports action plus Matt Christopher''s easy-to-read style equals a series not be missed.

Since signing with the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997, Lisa Leslie has impressed WNBA fans with her shooting, rebounding, and blocking abilities. But her notable achievements go further back. In the 1996 Olympic Games, she scored 29 points in the gold medal victory over Brazil. Her Pac-10 record for scoring, rebounding, and blocking still holds, as does her University of Southern California record for blocks. Part-time fashion model, Lisa Leslie is a high-profile athlete young readers will enjoy learning more about.

Mudders'' catcher Rudy Calhoun is having a bad season behind the plate until, at a yard sale, he buys a used catcher''s mask that greatly improves his playing.

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of watching Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals knows the sound of a hit. It''s the sound his bat makes when it connects with the ball. It''s a sound that''s been heard countless times since his 2001 rookie season. That year, he took the league by storm by posting some of the most fantastic offensive stats of any rookie ever-and he''s been doing the same ever since, shattering records and helping his team win games, including the 2006 World Series, with clutch hits and amazing home runs. This biography offers an up-close look at this superstar''s life and the most memorable moments of his outstanding career to date.

Twelve-year old Ron Baker finds a mini bike while scuba diving and, with the help of a former motorcycle rider and racer, restores the bike and enters competitions.

Home run slugger Sylvester Coddmyer the Third has an amazing secret. For three seasons, he''s been coached by men who look exactly like baseball legends: Babe Ruth, Eddie Cicotte, and Mickey Mantle. Are these men just impersonating famous ballplayers, as his friend Duane insists? Or are they from the "beyond," as Snooky Malone believes? The mystery deepens in this fourth title of the exciting Home Run Kid series when yet another character from baseball''s past appears to coach Syl. But is Syl the only one getting pointers? And will Snooky ever get to the bottom of this mystery?

Serena and Venus Williams have captured the attention of the tennis crowd. This title contains photographs, their statistics and a list of career highlights for the sisters.

Traces the life of the young woman who entered professional tennis at age thirteen and won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.

Depicts the life and career of the St. Louis Cardinals slugger, who holds the record for most homeruns in one season.

Mention the name Muhammad Ali and people the world over will know exactly who you''re talking about. The former heavyweight champion is one of the most recognized and beloved sports figures of the past century. In the ring, he made an impact with his powerful fists and lightning quick feet. Outside the ring, he earned a reputation as a good-natured, free-spoken personality who liked to make up poems about how he planned to beat his next opponent. Yet Muhammad Ali was much more than a boxer and a braggart. He emerged during the tumultuous 60s as a man with strong spiritual convictions and an unwavering belief in the importance of the Civil Rights movement. Today he continues to support charitable causes and peace efforts even as he fights a new and more daunting opponent-a debilitating syndrome that has impaired his speech and motor control. Though he can no longer ``dance like a butterfly'''' or ``sting like a bee,'''' to sports lovers everywhere, he is still ``the greatest.'''' Get to know a true legend.

Lisa Gaddy is a starting fullback for the ''Cats and she plays her position well -- except for one thing. She''s small for her age, so her throw-ins from the sidelines don''t go very far. Sometimes the ball winds up landing in front of an opponent instead of a teammate. She can''t stop taking throw-ins (though one of her teammates thinks she should), but unless she grows three inches before the season ends, there doesn''t seem to be any way she can improve. Or is there? The coach has an idea to turn Lisa''s throw-ins into the ''Cats'' secret weapon....

Women''s soccer has never been more popular. At the top of the sport''s list of star players is Mia Hamm. Her speed, aggressive play, and ability to "read the field" have sparked every team she''s ever played on. At the University of North Carolina, she helped the Tar Heels capture four NCAA championships. Her continually stellar performances with the United States national team led them to win two out of three Women''s World Cups, first in 1991 and again in 1999. And as a member of the 1996 gold medal-winning Olympic team, she played an outstanding final game on a sprained ankle. The holder of the world record for most goals scored in a career, she is the hero of thousands of soccer fans worldwide. Readers will devour every detail of this insightful biography of the best women''s soccer player in the world. Get an up-close look at this superstar athlete with Matt Christopher, the number one sports series for kids. For more information on the Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf, please turn to the last pages of this book.

Reviews the life of the talented slugger Mo Vaughn.

Provides a fact-filled biography of Greg Maddux, covering the baseball superstar''s life as a pitcher, his character as a player, and the special achievements of his career, such as winning four Cy Young Awards and six Gold Glove Awards.

Matt Christopher, the #1 sports writer for kids, focuses on Andre Agassi, the controversial tennis phenomenon whose image is as hard-hitting as his playing. Real-life sports action plus the author''s easy-to-read style equals a sports biography not to be missed.

Riding a bike is such a rush for Will Matthews. Soon after he joins a mountain biking club, he''s hurtling down hills, pedaling over mud-churned trails and leaping over rocks and gullies. But he may be moving so fast that he''s forgotten the friend he left behind.160 pp.