. . . anyone who’s a fan will recognize immediately that the athletes chosen for comparison are well matched. Each volume includes brief biographical information about the athletes before launching into comparisons of their many gifts and talents. Some pairs, such as Lionel Messi and Pelé or LeBron James and Michael Jordan, are such great counterparts that it’s almost impossible to say there’s a clear victor. In other cases, readers can clearly see how each player’s strengths were different. Who would come out on top if these phenomenal stars met up in their respective primes? The titles on the more well-known athletes are more likely to circulate than the less familiar ones, but they’re all fascinating. A real winner for middle school collections.