Recreation Can Be Risky (Focus on Safety)

Grade 4-8?These titles from the prolific sports biographer offer a preventative approach to injuries and accidents both in the home and on the field. Firearms, poisonous gases, tools, and ladders are just a few of the items that present unique yet avoidable hazards at home. Gutman also emphasizes accident prevention and reserves the last chapter for first-aid care, including instructions on the Heimlich maneuver. Attention to detail and organization help to make this book a good source for reports, plus the language is less informal than in the second title. The focus of Recreation is on individual sports, such as hiking and skateboarding, rather than on particular injuries. Each chapter provides tips on proper dress and the types of skills necessary for the safe practice of each sport. The final two chapters discuss precautions and treatment for weather-related emergencies and general first-aid instructions. Team sports are crammed into one chapter and the language is often too informal, but the book does prepare readers to enjoy recreational activities safely. Graphs, full-color photos, and lists of organizations and further reading are offered in both titles but neither has a thorough index.?Carol Fazioli, Cardinal Hayes Library, Manhattan College, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-8. Having fun and playing hard are an important part of life for kids, but many recreational activities can lead to injury. In this entry in the new Focus on Safety series, Gutman tries to give young readers practical suggestions for having a good time while keeping safe. For each activity, such as baseball, biking, or hiking, Gutman suggests warm-up activities, clothing, and appropriate equipment and protective gear. He also points out the particular pitfalls of each sport, including getting into fights with strangers during pickup games. The volume is cleanly designed and well organized, and even browsers can quickly find information from the lists of suggestions for each sport. The book closes with chapters about weather hazards and first aid, and a bibliography and a list of organizations round things out. Susan Dove Lempke