Skateboarding in Action

Crossingham, J. (2002). Skateboarding in Action. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.

Summary:
This book begins with a brief history and different styles of skateboarding, such as streetstyle or vertical skating. The basic information on getting started is provided, with diagrams and explanations of the various parts of a skateboard and the safety equipment one should wear while skating. The book then tells how get started skating; how to push off, glide, and turn. As the reader progresses through the book, the instructions become more complex involving tricks, such as the ollie. Once the basics of streetstyle skating are discussed, the book delves into skateparks and skating on flat bars and ramps. There are photos and drawings of many different grab tricks, accomplished by getting air on the ramp and grabbing the board while the skater is in the air. The book finishes with a glossary of terms.

Review:
I don't know much about skating, but the way the book is organized works well for learning a new skill. The book begins with the basics and the skills build on each other with each new page. The photographs are nice, they seem current, not outdated. Some of the drawings are a little silly and could make the book seem a little uncool. There are new terms on each page and great explanations of each. What I thought especially great about the book is that even though beginning skaters interested in this book will not be able to do most of the tricks described, it will teach them how to identify them when watching skating at a skatepark or at the X Games.

Genre:
nonfiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
skateboarding, sports

Annotation:
Learn the basics of skateboarding as well as cool tricks you can one day hope to accomplish.