Sneakers: The Cool Stories and Facts Behind Every Pair (How It Happened)

by Stephanie Warren Drimmer (Author)

Sneakers: The Cool Stories and Facts Behind Every Pair (How It Happened)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: How It Happened

Find out how sneakers took over the world in this fact-filled nonfiction book, part of a series about the stories behind cool objects!

From going to school to shopping at the mall, sneakers are one of the most comfortable ways to get around. But how did these rubbery soles become everyone's favorite shoe to stomp in?

Readers will love learning about the story behind sneakers, from the world's oldest shoe to the latest designer sneaker drop . . . and everything in between!

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

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ALA/Booklist

Pages are filled with eye-catching graphics, sidebars, photos, illustrations, and accessible text pepper with numerous exclamation points.

Kirkus

A fun and fact-filled look at footwear that will find its audience.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6--This colorful, informative nonfiction book leads readers through the fascinating history of sneakers, from the oldest known shoe (a 9,000-year-old sandal woven from sagebrush) to the popular shoes of today. The book is divided into three sections: "How It All Started;" "How It Got Off the Ground;" and "How It Took Over the World." The first section describes Charles Goodyear's decades-long quest to develop vulcanized rubber, only to have his invention stolen, leaving him in debt at the end of his life. It also talks about the rise of Keds (originally called Peds), which became popular with women tennis players in the 1920s. The second section covers the 1936 Olympics, when American athlete Jesse Owen broke world records while wearing special sneakers designed by the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Company. The Dassler brothers, Adi and Rudolf, eventually had a falling out that led them to the formation of two rival companies (Adidas and Puma), which led to a feud so bitter that employees of one company were forbidden from dating or marrying employees of the other. The section also covers the birth of Nike (which was almost called Dimension Six), and Onitsuka. The last section describes the rise of sneaker culture, including Van's, Converse, and Reeboks, and the major celebrity endorsements (Jane Fonda, Michael Jordan, and RUN-DMC) that transformed sneakers from an accessory reserved for athletes, to the everyday shoes they are today. The book ends by describing modern innovations, (including shoes that lace themselves, track the wearer's performance, or have designs that can be instantly changed with the touch of a button), and asks readers to come up with their own logos and designs. Colorful photographs and drawings appear throughout, along with interesting bits of trivia and quotes, and the brightly colored pages add to its readability and eye-catching design. A table of contents, time line of important events, glossary, and index are included. VERDICT This engaging, educational book will appeal to middle grade sneakerheads and fans of books about the history of inventions.--Ashley Larsen

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"[A] clear, close-up look at an invention (versatile, comfortable shoes) that captures affection and loyalty, plus an exhortation to young innovators to think about their own spin on the product. It's also an interesting examination of the ways that professional athletics and personal exercise have evolved over the last century." —Kirkus Reviews

"The How It Happened! series provides energetic, upbeat histories of everyday items that should be familiar to most kids. Pages are filled with eye-catching graphics, sidebars, photos, illustrations, and accessible text pepper with numerous exclamation points." —Booklist

"This colorful, informative nonfiction book leads readers through the fascinating history of sneakers . . . . Colorful photographs and drawings appear throughout, along with interesting bits of trivia and quotes, and the brightly colored pages add to its readability and eye-catching design . . . . This engaging, educational book will appeal to middle grade sneakerheads and fans of books about the history of inventions." —School Library Journal
Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Puzzle creator DR. GARETH MOORE is the author of more than 35 best-selling international puzzle and brain-training titles from a wide range of publishers. He is the creator of "Brained Up" (www.BrainedUp.com), a cutting-edge brain-training site, offering scientifically designed daily sessions.

STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER writes about biology, technology, and outer space. Her work has appeared in Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic Kids magazine, and Scholastic's SuperScience and Science World magazines. Drimmer is a graduate of New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting program. She is an expert at imparting scientific information at a level that is both fun and understandable and is the author of multiple National Geographic Kids books including Mastermind, Brain Bogglers, and Brain Games: Big Book of Boredom Busters.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781454944966
Lexile Measure
990
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Union Square Kids
Publication date
April 18, 2023
Series
How It Happened
BISAC categories
JNF051000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | General
JNF025000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | General
Library of Congress categories
-

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