Almost everybody can reel off stats about a favorite athlete, but few fans know the person behind the trophies and medals. Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought) tells more than just the physical achievements of twenty groundbreaking athletes. What did they like to eat, to drink, to wear? What childhood games did they play? How did they handle fame and fortune? Avid sports fans and phobics alike will relish this collection of fears, habits, quirks, and what the neighbors found to gossip about. From Jackie Robinson to Sonja Henie to Bruce Lee, from surfing to basketball to soccer, no other book celebrates the art of the human body quite like this one.

Kathleen Krull has written much innovative nonfiction for young people, including all of the books in the Lives of . . . series, and has made a chatty, accessible approach to biography her hallmark. She lives in San Diego, California. Visit her website at www.kathleenkrull.com. Kathryn Hewitt's caricatures of famous figures led kids to dub the Lives of . . . series the "Big Head" books. She has illustrated many books for young readers, some of which she also wrote. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Visit her website at www.kathrynhewitt.com.