Who is the Greatest Of All Time—the G.O.A.T.? This is the question debated constantly between fans for any number of categories. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? The greatest band? Video game? Sci-fi movie?

In The Great G.O.A.T. Debate: The Best of the Best in Everything from Sports to Science, award-winning young adult author Paul Volponi explores the “greatest of all time” in over twenty-five different categories. Volponi asks the G.O.A.T. question of writers, superheroes, musicians, philosophers, architects, athletes, and more. Alongside icons such as martial artist Bruce Lee, basketball star Maya Moore, and rapper Jay-Z, readers will also discover the diverse talents of inventor Leonardo da Vinci, the artistry of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, and the genius of scientist Marie Curie.

Full of facts, trivia, and mini-arguments, The Great G.O.A.T. Debate is sure to expand readers’ horizons and help answer the ultimate question: “Who is the Greatest Of All Time?”

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"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.