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Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson is one of the dominating figures in NASCAR. He became the first rookie ever to lead in the point standings. He is the only driver to finish in the top five in the standings in his first five full seasons. He has never finished below fifth in the final standings and finished second twice (in 2003 and 2004) and won the Nextel Cup championship in 2006. He will only get better as he continues to compete at the highest levels of NASCAR. This is a great narrative for reluctant readers.
* Reviews *
Through a series of ups and downs in his teen years and twenties, Jimmy Johnson doggedly pursued his objective: winning the NASCAR champion title. In 2006, Johnson actually achieved more than he hoped for: he became the first racer in history to win the Daytona 500 race, Brickyard 400 race, and overall NASCAR title all in the same year. The author is an experienced sports reporter, and it shows. For this biography, he uses exciting insider reporting, abundant quotes, and eye-popping photographs to draw the reader in at racecar speed. Textboxes offer juicy tidbits about Johnson, other racers, and the sport of auto racing. The author discusses Johnsons ways of working through failure, tempering aggression, and remaining faithful to the work ethic he learned from his parents. Johnsons racing statistics, a glossary, chapter notes, and an index are included. Even the books table of contents is exciting! A few additions would be useful to the novice reader, namely an explanation of how racing points are scored, details about what it takes to win the crown, an explanation of the upward progression of racing circuits, and information about the races in each circuit. This volume, one in the expanding Heroes of Racing series that includes several titles for reluctant readers, could easily hook a young reader (boy or girl). It would be a natural for a child to collect and savor the series. Disappointingly, the volume seems overpriced for the consumer. Libraries and schools may wish to purchase this excellent book, for a unit on various American sports, their heroes, and what it takes to reach the top., Children's Literature
RL
Grades
5-6 IL
Grades
5-12+ GRL
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