Robert Cade: Gatorade Inventor

Food Dudes

by Joanne Mattern

In this title, unwrap the life of talented Gatorade inventor, Robert Cade! Readers will enjoy getting the scoop on this Food Dude, beginning with his childhood in San Antonio, Texas. Students can follow Cades success story from his education at the University of Texas to his career in the U.S. Navy and with the University of Florida Gators football team. Cades family and his retirement years are also highlighted. Engaging text familiarizes readers with topics of interest including the first Gatorade shower and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. An entertaining sidebar, a helpful timeline, a glossary, and an index, supplement the historical and color photos showcased in this inspiring biography. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mattern is the author of many books for children. Her favorite topics include animals, biography, and history. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Reviews

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out loud to my kids. The pacing was great and the content interesting. I loved learning where Gatorade got its name. Although I'm not a football fan and certainly not a science nerd, I found the story behind the invention captivating- I couldn't believe how big of a problem dehydration among players was in the 60s! What kept me from giving the book 5 stars was that while the book praised Cade for creating a product that ultimately saved lives, it also mentioned that the product was sold and the recipe changed (made sweeter to taste better and with colorings and flavors added) but didnt go into detail as to whether or not these changes affected the overall usefulness of the product. (Surely Gatorade was in on this book project, or at the very least the author was avoiding legal drama?) I had a nutrition instructor in college suggest that making your own sports drink with juice, water and salt was the way to go to avoid the extra sugar in commercial products like Gatorade and Powerade. I'm not sure how much we ought to be glorifying them anymore.

This was a fun history lesson though, and it also inspired some discussion on health and science with my kids.

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3rd title in the Food Dudes series published by ABDO includes timeline, glossary, web sites, and index.