Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Tony Hawk, by Barbara Sheen. 104 p. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-1-4205-0016-5. ISBN 10: 1-4205-0016-3. $32.45.

Tony Hawk’s career mirrors the rise and fall and rise again in the popularity of skateboarding in the United States. This volume follows Hawk’s path chronologically; the opening chapter notes the features of his temperament that lead him to embrace skating: persistence in the face of struggle, individuality and a dogged determination. The next few chapters describe the evolution of the skater’s legendary technique. Hawk’s slight frame made it impossible to perform the kinds of flips and spins popular in his youth, so he developed a whole new series of tricks based on a different way to launch himself and his board into the air. This new technique revolutionized skateboarding, and Hawk rode the wave of popularity to an early fortune, buying his first house at age 17. Subsequent chapters note the decline and resurgence of skating and Hawk’s shifting role into fatherhood and entrepreneurship. As with other titles in this series, this volume includes several color photos in each chapter, and sidebars highlight interesting and unusual features of both skateboarding and Hawk’s life. Recommended for middle school, high school and public libraries.
—Doug Achterman