Tag: skateboarding

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Authenticity is Epic: Kick Push

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Kick Push, by Frank Morrison, (Apr. 2022, Bloomsbury USA), $18.99, ISBN: 9781547605927

Ages 3-7

Ivan – better known as Epic – is a skateboard king: “He’s been grinding the streets with moves to big, his friends call him EPIC”. He’s just moved to a new town, and he doesn’t know anyone, and trying out new tricks without anyone to cheer you on is no fun. Epic tries out some other sports, trying to fit in and find his new crew, but it’s just no good. Luckily, his dad is there to give him the best advice: stay true to yourself, and be EPIC. Sure enough, Epic gets back on his skateboard and discovers that the self-confidence that comes from doing what you love and being yourself is the best introduction of all. this is Frank Morrison’s first time out as author-illustrator; you may have seen his work on books like I Got the Rhythm and I Got the School Spirit, both by Connie Schofield-Morrison, or the award-winning Little Melba and her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown. His illustration work and his storytelling pulse with life, giving an urban beat to the story. Epic is a brown-skinned boy with natural hair and flies through the air on his skateboard, soaring past a vibrant urban inner city landscape. He speeds by ice cream trucks and graffiti-adorned buildings; bright orange construction cones mark sidewalks under construction; kids play with super soaker water guns in a park; a hip-hop dance troupe runs through their moves in a studio; a kid gets a high-top fade at the local barber shop. Kick Push embraces authenticity, community, and pride.

Frank Morrison is an award-winning illustrator. He received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, an NAACP Image Award for Our Children Can Soar, and a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for Jazzy Miz Mozetta.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Fairy tale meets the half pipe: Beauty and Bernice

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Beauty and Bernice, by Nancy Viau, (Sept. 2018, Schiffer Kids), $12.99, ISBN: 9780764355806

Ages 8-12

I continue my quest to read down my TBR and feature great backlist for your readers advisory and your booklists. This time out, I’ve got another Nancy Viau book, Beauty and Bernice. Twelve-year-old Bernice Baransky is a skater girl. She’s a grunge-loving whiz on a skateboard, on the verge of middle school, and she’s got a crush on fellow skater Wyatt – not that she can do anything other than nod when he calls her “Dude”. Enter Odelia, a new transplant to the neighborhood, who appears dressed in princess gowns and decides to make Bernice her new best friend and project. She’s determined to teach Bernice her guide to the “Social Graces”, with lessons on hygiene, posture, and manners, and Bernice reluctantly goes along for the ride, teaching Odelia that she can let loose a little, herself. Both spend a summer learning about one another while volunteering with Smile Academy, a summer camp for children with Down syndrome. A kind story that brings a little everyday magic to realistic fiction, this has some surprises that will make readers smile. The subplot with the girls volunteering – and encouraging their friends to help – with the Smile Academy gives nice depth to the characters and allows for Bernice’s character growth.  If you have skater fans, sell the detailed discussions on skateboarding.