Great G.O.A.T. Debate

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. He lives in Flushing, NY.

"Greatest of all time” arguments are commonplace among students and a burgeoning subgenre of G.O.A.T. books, particularly sports biographies, bears this out. What sets this title apart is not only the breadth of subjects considered but the debater’s manual included inside. In 27 brief chapters, Volponi doesn’t provide answers so much as he prods readers to consider what exactly is being discussed, what quality or achievement sets a person apart in a given field. In addition, each chapter includes a “Time to Debate” section encouraging readers, for example, to explain their reasoning, anticipate counter-arguments, remain calm and polite, and even to consider style elements like anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase, such as in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. A few of the figures profiled are less well known (professional wrestler Mildred Burke) and some of the subjects are uncommonly debated (Hollywood stunt people). But there are chapters and arguments for many of the more popular sports and entertainment rivalries, though none for soccer. Photos of many of the subjects, as well as other illustrations, such as stamps depicting Jim Thorpe and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, are present throughout. Included are several pages of source notes and citations. Each chapter is rich with suggestions for further study. Recommended for elementary and middle school libraries. Readers will come for the debates and stay for the critical-thinking skills.

• IntroductionChapter One: Athlete (All Around) – Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias vs. Jim ThorpeChapter Two: Band (music) – The Beatles vs. Rolling StonesChapter Three: Baseball Player – Babe Ruth vs. Hank AaronChapter Four: Building Designer/Architect – Zaha Hadid vs. Frank Lloyd WrightChapter Five: Chess Player – Hou Yifan vs. Gary KasparovChapter Six: Composer – John Williams vs. Ludwig van Beethoven Chapter Seven: Dancer (Female), Dancer (Male) – Anna Pavlova vs. Janet Jackson, Mikhail Baryshnikov vs. Michael JacksonChapter Eight: Electric Guitar Player – Jimi Hendrix vs. B. B. KingChapter Nine: Hoops Star (Female), Hoops Star (Male) – Maya Moore vs. Anne Meyers, LeBron James vs. Michael JordanChapter Ten: Inventor – Leonardo da Vinci vs. Nikola TeslaChapter Eleven: Jazz Soloist – Ella Fitzgerald vs. Miles DavisChapter Twelve: Jockey – Angel Cordero Jr. vs. John VelazquezChapter Thirteen: Martial Artist – Rickson Gracie vs. Bruce LeeChapter Fourteen: Mathematician – Srinivasa Ramanujan vs. Sir Isaac NewtonChapter Fifteen: MC (Hip-Hop Artist) – Nas vs. Jay ZChapter Sixteen: Orator (Public Speaker) – Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Sir Winston ChurchillChapter Seventeen: Philosopher – Plato vs. Albert CamusChapter Eighteen: Quarterback – Joe Montana vs. Tom Brady Chapter Nineteen: Sci-Fi Franchise – Star Trek vs. Star WarsChapter Twenty: Scientist – Marie Curie vs. Albert Einstein Chapter Twenty-one: Stunt Person – Dar Robinson vs. Jeannie EpperChapter 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-ManChapter Twenty-five: Villain (Fictional) – Lord Voldemort vs. JokerChapter Twenty-six: Wrestler – Mildred Burke vs. Dan Gable Chapter Twenty-seven: Writer – William Shakespeare vs. Mark Twain