Football Party Prep

I’m not a sports fan, generally, but every year, my in-laws have a long-standing Grey Cup party. It’s a big deal. We go to every year to help out and see everyone, but I’m pretty much clueless when it comes to the actual game. Maybe not this year… this new book has come out just in time! With this and my awesome stadium-shaped cake pan, I am all set for this weekend.

A kid-friendly look at one of North America’s biggest sports, this book is slim, but packed with facts about the game’s history, rules, playing field, equipment, and more. Information on players, including positions and roles, how they train, and some of the “legends of the game” is nicely broken out into chunks that even the most reluctant readers can browse easily. Bold illustrations and plenty of photos make the book appealing  and help explain rules of play, strategy on the field, and the science behind the game, even to a non-expert like me.

My only complaint? Even though the publisher is Canadian, the book focuses mostly on American football and the NFL. Yes, the NFL is huge, even here, but given that nearly half of Canada saw last year’s Grey Cup, a bit more on Canadian football would have been nice. There is a section on the back that explains the differences, though, so I can brush up before Sunday!

If you’ve got a kid who loves reading about sports, this series also includes titles on baseball, figure skating, hockey, basketball, and soccer!