Shaquille O'Neal Book

Examines the life and basketball career of the Los Angeles Lakers "big man" who led his team to two consecutive NBA championships in 2000 and 2001.

Della A. Yannuzzi - Children's Literature

Schaefer has written a high-interest, easy reading level picture biography on a famous sports hero basketball player named Shaquille O'Neal. There are five chapters in this slim forty-eight page book. Each chapter looks at a different aspect of Shaquille's life. The chapter on his early years talks about his birth in Newark, New Jersey on March 6, 1972. His mother chose his name Shaquille because it means "little warrior" in the Arabic language. Shaquille and his family moved around the country, and lived in Germany for a time. When he was thirteen-years-old and already six feet eight inches tall, he began to play basketball in Germany. When the family returned to the United States, Shaq played high school basketball and then played for the LSU Tigers. In 1991, he averaged more than 27 points per game for LSU, and was named college basketball Player of the Year. In 1992, The Orlando Magic selected Shaq with the first pick in the NBA Draft. In 1996, Shaq won an Olympic gold medal. He also signed a seven-year $40 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Today, Shaq O'Neal is one of the best players in the NBA. He also donates millions of dollars each year to charities. Good, color photographs illustrate the book along with career highlights, words to know, internet sites and books to read. 2003, Capstone High-Interest Books, Ages 10 up.