Not to be confused with Scholastic’s popular “Who Would Win?” series, this sports-focused collection features feared athletes who have been known to eat the competition alive. Tina Charles and Lisa Leslie are both high-scoring centers capable of completely dominating their opponents, winning Olympic gold and WNBA championships, and earning MVP titles, but who’s number one? Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes were born into sports families, picked in the first round of the NFL draft, and led teams to multiple Super Bowl titles, but who’s really the GOAT? Each book in this series describes the path the players took to the pros, details some of their greatest moments, and highlights their jaw-dropping stats before declaring a winner. Before calling the matches (almost always for the veteran players), the authors remind readers that “best” is just a matter of opinion. With engaging text and plenty of photos, this well-crafted series will quench readers’ thirst for knowledge. VERDICT Three cheers—and one add-to-cart—for this great series.

What would happen if two sports phenoms from different eras went head-to-head? That’s for readers to decide in the All-Star Smackdown series, but each fact-and-stat-packed volume contains the information necessary to draw a well-considered conclusion—and perhaps fuel a lively debate. Each title opens by plunging readers into an epic moment in each of its chosen stars’ careers, always pairing a legend with a current athlete playing the same position. Short chapters peppered with photos and trivia lay out each player’s personal history and path to the pros as well as their greatest moments. The final chapter offers a stats-based recap to help readers crown one player as the GOAT. Aaron Donald vs. Reggie White pits these famous defensive linemen against each other, paying special attention to their prowess in sacking quarterbacks. LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan sees two of basketball’s best scorers tear up the court and repeatedly make history. In Patrick Mahomes vs. Peyton Manning, these NFL quarterbacks make insane passes, nab awards, and excel in “leading their teams to comebacks.” The WNBA gets its due in Tina Charles vs. Lisa Leslie, which follows the many victories of these two centers, who also happen to be scoring machines. Some sports knowledge is assumed as terminologies are casually tossed around, making these conversation-inciting books ideal for established fans.