John Cena

November 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Beginning with curiosity-piquing openers, these flashy biographies will grab and hold readers' attention. Writing with classic, dramatic sports jargon, Sandler covers the subjects' childhoods to present careers and includes information about their schooling and other accomplishments. The captioned color photos are clear, action-filled, and eye-catching. The layout is well balanced, with additional interesting factoids or definitions included in text boxes. Words in bold type are defined in the glossaries. However, there is no mention of the staging involved in professional wrestling, leading readers to believe that the sport is all about physical skill. The violence inherent in the sport is depicted and described. Stats and "Fun Facts" are listed.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2012
Grades 5-7 For young WWE fans, John Cena is the man. A reigning champion in the world of wrestling, Cena's becoming equally familiar outside the ring, especially for his blossoming film career. This entry in the Wrestling's Tough Guys series gives a brief introduction, from the rise of the man himself, struggling as a bullied, skinny kid in a small Massachusetts town, to the six feet one, 250-pound muscle machine he is today. The easy-to-follow text is enlivened by captions, asides, and boxed-off factoids about Cena's life and career. And if it's crisp, sweaty wrestling photographs you're after, this book has you covered, including pics of Cena's signature move, the Attitude Adjustment. Back matter is standard, though the glossary is especially helpful for those new to such phrases as leg drop and tapped out.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Each book in this high-interest, low-level series profiles a contemporary professional wrestler, superficially covering his childhood and early interest in the sport before moving on to important matches. Lots of photos of pumped-up musclemen take center stage; the minimal texts don't go very deep, but WWE fans will appreciate the stats and ringside action. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)