"Yes She Can! : Women's Sports Pioneers" tells the stories of five women who broke new ground in sports history. From Trudy Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel, to Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy car race, these inspirational women's achievements span over eighty years. The informal, conversational tone of the book will appeal to kids, but can make it difficult to locate concrete information like dates within the text. It is also unclear why these sports figures in particular were chosen, while other influential women's sports pioneers such as Babe Didrikson Zaharias were passed over. There are also no athletes included between from the period between the 1936 Olympic Games and the 1970's, raising questions of whether nothing notable happened in that period or whether the author did not exercise due diligence in performing research. A list of resources for further reading appears at the end of the volume; a full bibliography is not included. Recommended for fourth through sixth graders, especially sports fans or fans of biographies. ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Author Glenn Stout's latest book, titled YES, SHE CAN!, features five female athletes who have paved the way for girls interested in the world of sports.

The five record-breaking females are swimmer Trudy Ederle, track stars Louise Stokes and Tidye Pickett, jockey Julie Krone, and Indy car racer Danica Patrick.

Trudy Ederle learned to swim at an early age and only truly felt at home while swimming and floating in sea water. Encouraged by family, friends, and coaches, she challenged herself to be the first female to swim the English Channel. After one failed attempt, she succeeded and even broke the record set by an earlier male swimmer.

In the 1930's, two female track runners broke the racial barriers in their sport. Louise Stokes from Massachusetts and Tidye Pickett of Chicago became well-known in the sport of track and field and went on to qualify for two Olympic teams. They faced hard times and unexplained prejudice, but their courage and determination to compete just like everyone else made them instrumental in opening track to not only women but, more importantly, African-American women.

Julie Krone was two years old when she rode her first horse and just a teen when she announced that she was going to be a woman jockey. With the support of her mother, Julie searched until she found a job at a race track. Her hard work and toughness helped her prove to trainers and owners that she could compete with the best male jockeys and win.

Finally, Danica Patrick represents women in the sport of Indy car racing. YES, SHE CAN! tells of her first scary ride in a go-cart and how even a crash that threw her from the cart didn't stop her from getting behind the wheel to race again. Many called her too pretty to race and claimed that her actress good looks are what actually made her popular, but Patrick's performance on the race track tells a different story.

YES, SHE CAN! is the second book in a new series, GOOD SPORTS, by Glenn Stout. He specializes in sports biographies for both kids and adults. Sports fans of all ages are sure to enjoy reading about these pioneers in sports history. Coming next in the series is SOLDIER ATHLETES in October 2011. ( )