Paul Volponi is an author, journalist and educator. His twelve novels for young adults have been the recipient of a dozen American Library Association honors. His novel Black and White, winner of the International Reading Association Children's Book Award, is a staple in many middle school and high school English classes. Volponi's most recent books are That's My Team: The History, Science, and Fun Behind Sports Teams' Names (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) and Streetball is Life: Lessons Earned on the Asphalt (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020), both nonfiction sports books for young adults.
Description
Introduction Chapter One: Athlete (All Around) - Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias vs. Jim Thorpe Chapter Two: Band (music) - The Beatles vs. Rolling Stones Chapter Three: Baseball Player - Babe Ruth vs. Hank Aaron Chapter Four: Building Designer/Architect - Zaha Hadid vs. Frank Lloyd Wright Chapter Five: Chess Player - Hou Yifan vs. Gary Kasparov Chapter Six: Composer - John Williams vs. Ludwig van Beethoven Chapter Seven: Dancer (Female), Dancer (Male) - Anna Pavlova vs. Janet Jackson, Mikhail Baryshnikov vs. Michael Jackson Chapter Eight: Electric Guitar Player - Jimi Hendrix vs. B. B. King Chapter Nine: Hoops Star (Female), Hoops Star (Male) - Maya Moore vs. Anne Meyers, LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Chapter Ten: Inventor - Leonardo da Vinci vs. Nikola Tesla Chapter Eleven: Jazz Soloist - Ella Fitzgerald vs. Miles Davis Chapter Twelve: Jockey - Angel Cordero Jr. vs. John Velazquez Chapter Thirteen: Martial Artist - Rickson Gracie vs. Bruce Lee Chapter Fourteen: Mathematician - Srinivasa Ramanujan vs. Sir Isaac Newton Chapter Fifteen: MC (Hip-Hop Artist) - Nas vs. Jay Z Chapter Sixteen: Orator (Public Speaker) - Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Sir Winston Churchill Chapter Seventeen: Philosopher - Plato vs. Albert Camus Chapter Eighteen: Quarterback - Joe Montana vs. Tom Brady Chapter Nineteen: Sci-Fi Franchise - Star Trek vs. Star Wars Chapter Twenty: Scientist - Marie Curie vs. Albert Einstein Chapter Twenty-one: Stunt Person - Dar Robinson vs. Jeannie Epper Chapter Twenty-two: Super Hero Squad - Justice League vs. Avengers Chapter Twenty-three: TV Moment - Moon Landing vs. Ellen's Coming-out Episode Chapter Twenty-four: Video Game - Mario Brothers vs. Pac-Man Chapter Twenty-five: Villain (Fictional) - Lord Voldemort vs. Joker Chapter Twenty-six: Wrestler - Mildred Burke vs. Dan Gable Chapter Twenty-seven: Writer - William Shakespeare vs. Mark Twain