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Zan #3
Zanboomer
When a dislocated shoulder removes her off the baseball team for the season, Zan Hagen takes up cross-country racing and learns to set goals for herself and compete without teammates
- GenresYoung Adult
183 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
R.R. Knudson
21 books1 followerRozanne Knudson was born in Washington, D. C. She received a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in 1954, a master's degree from the University of Georgia in 1955, and a Ph. D. from Stanford University in 1967.
Knudson wrote more than 40 books. But she is best known, particularly among teenage girls, for the four “Zan” books. Published in the years after the passage of Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibited federal funding for education programs that discriminate on the basis of sex, including sports, the series called on young women to eschew cheerleader skirts and pompoms.
Knudson wrote more than 40 books. But she is best known, particularly among teenage girls, for the four “Zan” books. Published in the years after the passage of Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibited federal funding for education programs that discriminate on the basis of sex, including sports, the series called on young women to eschew cheerleader skirts and pompoms.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 9, 2017
Zan Hagen is a high school athlete. She is very competitive. In previous books, this is the third in a series of four, she fought for the right to play football and to play on the boys basketball team. She is athletically aggressive and has a strong will to win. Her nerdy, science-minded friend Rinehart plays an instrumental role in this story and the reader does not see Monk, Eugene and E.J as much. Joe Donn pops in and out as the nemesis but I don't think he is really needed in the second half of the book.
The story opens with the start of baseball season. Team relationships are renewed and everyone settles in for what will hopefully be a strong season. Zan injures her shoulder during a game. Her season is done. Rinehart steps up and her team friends slide into he background of the story. They have a season to finish and then summer break starts. It is not stated but Zan seems to be struggling with depression. She has days when she does nothing and cares about nothing. Sports are her life and she can't play. Rinehart tells her there is nothing wrong with her legs and as her rehabilitation progresses running will be good for her. He makes it into a science experiment. He makes vitamin drinks, tries motivation techniques and lays out a training regime for Zan.
She writes about her mental struggles in the journal that Rinehart tells her that she has to keep. She is sad because a team sport that she loved is taken away from her. She struggles to get past that and to learn how to "win" for herself. She has always played on teams. She has to learn self- motivation and more self-drive. The journey is not easy and she keeps it a semi-secret from her friends. It is something new that she is not sure about. Her goal is to run at the cross-country championship race at the end of the cross-country season in the fall. The second half of the book is this journey and the climax is the race itself.
The story was written in 1978. Women/girls were still fighting the image that they shouldn't be competitive or aggressive in sports. There is a good sociology or social studies lesson right there. I appreciated Zan's individual growth during the story. She was forced into an uncomfortable situation and struggled mentally and physically to remold herself into a stronger person.
It would be interesting to design a project for students interested in sports management or physical therapy and ask them to really examine Arthur Rinehart's technique and plan for Zan. What in his plan is corroborated by today's research and application? What might have he done different in his reactions to Zan's stubbornness and possible depression? What might he have done different in his physical plan? What might have been in her vitamin drinks? Can you find details in the story to back up your hypothesis?
There are possibilities for projects or discussions around team sportsmanship/sportmanship type behavior, differences in team sports versus individual sports, and mental toughness.
The story opens with the start of baseball season. Team relationships are renewed and everyone settles in for what will hopefully be a strong season. Zan injures her shoulder during a game. Her season is done. Rinehart steps up and her team friends slide into he background of the story. They have a season to finish and then summer break starts. It is not stated but Zan seems to be struggling with depression. She has days when she does nothing and cares about nothing. Sports are her life and she can't play. Rinehart tells her there is nothing wrong with her legs and as her rehabilitation progresses running will be good for her. He makes it into a science experiment. He makes vitamin drinks, tries motivation techniques and lays out a training regime for Zan.
She writes about her mental struggles in the journal that Rinehart tells her that she has to keep. She is sad because a team sport that she loved is taken away from her. She struggles to get past that and to learn how to "win" for herself. She has always played on teams. She has to learn self- motivation and more self-drive. The journey is not easy and she keeps it a semi-secret from her friends. It is something new that she is not sure about. Her goal is to run at the cross-country championship race at the end of the cross-country season in the fall. The second half of the book is this journey and the climax is the race itself.
The story was written in 1978. Women/girls were still fighting the image that they shouldn't be competitive or aggressive in sports. There is a good sociology or social studies lesson right there. I appreciated Zan's individual growth during the story. She was forced into an uncomfortable situation and struggled mentally and physically to remold herself into a stronger person.
It would be interesting to design a project for students interested in sports management or physical therapy and ask them to really examine Arthur Rinehart's technique and plan for Zan. What in his plan is corroborated by today's research and application? What might have he done different in his reactions to Zan's stubbornness and possible depression? What might he have done different in his physical plan? What might have been in her vitamin drinks? Can you find details in the story to back up your hypothesis?
There are possibilities for projects or discussions around team sportsmanship/sportmanship type behavior, differences in team sports versus individual sports, and mental toughness.
August 12, 2019
This book is part of a three-book set with Knudson's books Zanballer and Zanbanger. All three feature a star high school athlete, Suzanne, who is not only great at sports (football, basketball, and long-distance running) but she LOVES to play them competitively, even fighting for the right to play on the boys' football team and basketball team at her high school. I loved these books when I was a kid! (I think I read these books in junior high.) The main character is a strong female figure, and she inspired me to join sports teams when I got to high school -- these books, more than anything else, helped me imagine myself as an athlete. There are other fantastic ideas in this book: Zan's best friend is a nerd, and guess what? It turns out it's okay to be a nerd. Zan's best friend is a boy who is not interested in playing sports himself, and that's okay too. He and Zan have a healthy friendship and work together to help Zan achieve her goals (e.g. to become a faster runner). I just bought these books (used copies because the books are no longer in print) for my 10-yr-old niece who loves to read, and she loves these books too. I'm happy that this is becoming a family tradition!
~bint
~bint
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