Marbles: A Player's Guide - Softcover

Grade 3-6-A celebration of a game that has appealed to children and adults through the ages. While the book sings the praises of marbles, it begins with several warnings, including the need to count the small orbs before and after playing to ensure that strays are not picked up by young children or pets. In fact, the book places heavy emphasis on the fact that this is not an activity for those who are under five. Half of the book describes a variety of games, from simple to complex. Other topics include the history of marbles, how they are made and named, how to shoot them, rules and such, tournaments, supplies, and equipment. Directions are even included for how to make a marble bag (and no sewing is required). While the completeness of the information suggests that this book is for novices, the complexity of some of the sentences and the cursory nature of some of the explanations demand a somewhat older audience. The organization is also not always logical; the how-to shoot section points out good techniques for certain games before they are described. However, there is plenty of sound advice here, and a wealth of games to choose from.
Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.