Paul Volponi's Blog - Posts Tagged "science"
Totally proud of my new book. After 12 novels, it's my first non-fiction title.
It took my nearly 15 years to write That's My Team: The History, Science and Fun behind Sports Teams' Names. This totally original idea for a text is finally here, and for me, it was worth the wait and research that went into it.
That's My Team will be published in mid-August (Rowman and Littlefield). I believe readers from 6th to 12th grade will devour its pages. The book tells you how all of our sports teams--pro and college, in every sport--received their nicknames. In doing so, the text teaches a wide range of subjects such as literature, history, science and other cultures. The August Issue of VOYA Magazine will feature a 3,500 word article about the book and its genesis.
Below is a synopsis from the book jacket (And I was so pleased to get Chris Cruther, Hall of Fame basketball player Ann Myers, ESPN's Bob Ryan and author Paul Griffin to supply testimonial blurbs for it).
How did author Edgar Allen Poe influence the naming of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens? What major historical events inspired the naming of the Philadelphia 76ers, San Francisco 49ers, and Oklahoma Sooners? And what caused the NBA's Washington Bullets to change their name to the Wizards? In That's My Team! The History, Science, and Fun behind Sports Teams' Names, Paul Volponi shares the answers to these questions and more. Leading readers on a fast-paced journey through different parts of the United States and the world, Volponi reveals fascinating pieces of information on pop culture, history, science, literature, and a slew of other subjects through the lens of sports. While examining how teams from a variety of sports received their names, he also includes segments on Native Americans, minorities overcoming prejudice, and the growth of women's sports. That's My Team! features fifteen challenges that test the knowledge readers have gained through the chapters, while three "timeouts" provide readers with opportunities to create meaningful names for their own brand new sports teams. Both reluctant and sports-crazed readers, teens and preteens alike, will find this book an exciting way to learn about a variety of subjects through their favorite sports teams.
I hope you will take the time to read it and share it with your teens and pre-teens. It will also be a great addition to any school or public library.--Paul
That's My Team will be published in mid-August (Rowman and Littlefield). I believe readers from 6th to 12th grade will devour its pages. The book tells you how all of our sports teams--pro and college, in every sport--received their nicknames. In doing so, the text teaches a wide range of subjects such as literature, history, science and other cultures. The August Issue of VOYA Magazine will feature a 3,500 word article about the book and its genesis.
Below is a synopsis from the book jacket (And I was so pleased to get Chris Cruther, Hall of Fame basketball player Ann Myers, ESPN's Bob Ryan and author Paul Griffin to supply testimonial blurbs for it).
How did author Edgar Allen Poe influence the naming of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens? What major historical events inspired the naming of the Philadelphia 76ers, San Francisco 49ers, and Oklahoma Sooners? And what caused the NBA's Washington Bullets to change their name to the Wizards? In That's My Team! The History, Science, and Fun behind Sports Teams' Names, Paul Volponi shares the answers to these questions and more. Leading readers on a fast-paced journey through different parts of the United States and the world, Volponi reveals fascinating pieces of information on pop culture, history, science, literature, and a slew of other subjects through the lens of sports. While examining how teams from a variety of sports received their names, he also includes segments on Native Americans, minorities overcoming prejudice, and the growth of women's sports. That's My Team! features fifteen challenges that test the knowledge readers have gained through the chapters, while three "timeouts" provide readers with opportunities to create meaningful names for their own brand new sports teams. Both reluctant and sports-crazed readers, teens and preteens alike, will find this book an exciting way to learn about a variety of subjects through their favorite sports teams.
I hope you will take the time to read it and share it with your teens and pre-teens. It will also be a great addition to any school or public library.--Paul
