Power slide

Powerslide by Jeff Ross

This is the perfect book for those of you who are skaters, or those of you who can't refuse a dare, or those of you who need a short, action-packed read. Lots of intense action, daring skate challenges and not too heavy with the moral of the story.

Here's the summary:

Casey lives to skate. At the end of his final year of high school, Casey hasn't applied to college, and, other than skateboarding, he doesn't believe he's good at much of anything. When a young movie star offers him a job as a stunt double in an upcoming skateboarding movie, Casey is stoked. It's his dream job. But when word gets out aobut Casey's new gig, a local skater has other ideas about who would make the best stunt double. What price will Casey pay to realize his dream?

Jeff Ross is a Canadian author and skateboarder.

Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder

Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder by Tony Hawk and Sean Mortimer

There are many things I love about this book - but I'll start with the intro.

It wasn't always cool to be a skateboarder. Today, if you wear skate shoes and baggy pants, you look like most of the youth population. It's the "in" look. People of every age all over the world play skateboarding video games and know the name of complex skate tricks. If you turn on the TV there's a good chance you'll see skateboarding in a commercial or a contest. But back in the late 70's, when I started, skating was on it's way out. By the time I was obsessed with skateboarding, it was a geeky fad that only weirdos and nerds continued to do - at least that's what my schoolmates told me. I was used to hearing their taunts though. I was twelve and I was the only skater in my school....

Filled with dynamic photos from Tony's life, including embarrassing hairstyles of the past, this autobiography gives readers an inside look at how driven Tony Hawk was as a young competitor. I like how each new chapter heading is on a band-aid. Great read ! for those non-fiction / skate fans.

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Fakie

Fakie by Tony Varrato

While running from his father's murderer, Danny and his mother have moved, changed names and personas so often they've lost count. This time as Alex Miller, Danny takes on the persona of a skater. With his new skateboard, and baggy pants he finds it easy to fit in and feel like he's making real friends for the first time in a long time. Alex hopes he and his mother won't have to move again, but then his worst fears come true, his mother is kidnapped. Dun, dun, dun.

The book shifts perspectives from Danny/Alex to the villian, the man Danny put behind bars that now wants payback. The transition from these two perspectives was rough and could have been handled better.

Getting Air by Dan Gutman

This is real good fun. I usually describe this book as a cross between Hatchet and Transworld Skateboarding magazine, and that if liked either one of these you'll like Getting Air.

Jimmy, David and Henry are psyched. It's summer, school's out, and they are on their way to California, where they'll be able to do some major skating. But on the plane the unthinkable happens: They are hijacked by terrorists. As frightened as they may be, they take action and they succeed - sort of. They may have beaten the terrorists, but now their plane has crashed in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden their summer vacation is about finding food, water, shelter and to get rescued. Can three twelve-year-old boys find a way to survive without fast food and skate parks?

Hope you'll find time to check this one out.

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