{"id":38827,"date":"2021-02-21T22:36:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T02:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=38827"},"modified":"2021-02-21T22:36:43","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T02:36:43","slug":"review-of-a-sporting-chance-by-lori-alexander-illustrated-by-allan-drummond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=38827","title":{"rendered":"Review of A Sporting Chance, by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Allan Drummond"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A Sporting Chance<\/p>\n

How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games<\/em><\/p>\n

by Lori Alexander
\nillustrated by Allan Drummond<\/p>\n

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 114 pages.
\nReview written January 13, 2021, from a library book
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

This nonfiction book for upper elementary and middle school students hits the sweet spot of children\u2019s nonfiction. It\u2019s got lots of information about a fascinating high-interest topic and it mixes plenty of engaging illustrations with historical photographs that surprise the reader.<\/p>\n

The introductory chapter is about an English soldier who was paralyzed during World War II at a time when such people were put in a full-body cast and declared \u201cincurable.\u201d Then it goes on to tell about Ludwig Guttmann, who changed all that.<\/p>\n

Ludwig Guttmann was Jewish, born in Germany in 1899. He escaped two world wars \u2013 the first one because he had an infection on his neck and the second one after he had been removed from his position in a hospital and finally realized that it was dangerous to stay in Germany. However, before he left Germany, the book follows his interest and expertise learning about caring for paraplegics.<\/p>\n

In Great Britain, at first Ludwig wasn\u2019t trusted to care for patients, so he did research. That research helped him when he got a chance to run a hospital for paraplegics after the war was over. He refused to see them as incurable and had far better records of successful healing than anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n

But it was the patients who first started playing team sports with one another, starting a spontaneous game of wheelchair polo. Ludwig saw how much it lifted their spirits as well as strengthening their bodies, and encouraged it as competition. Then they began inviting other hospitals to contribute teams, and then other countries. Eventually, it became affiliated with the Olympic games and the Paralympic games were born.<\/p>\n

This book does a great job of telling about Ludwig but also about the amazing difference he made in the lives of disabled people.<\/p>\n

The last chapter features six athletes from different parts of the world with different disabilities who have competed and won in different sports at the Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n

This book is both inspiring and fascinating. All the photos and illustrations make it a quick and satisfying reading experience.<\/p>\n

lorialexanderbooks.com<\/a>
\nallandrummond.com<\/a>
\nhmhbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/sporting_chance.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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