Overview
Philip lives for skateboarding. School is merely the break between trying to land a difficult jump and outrunning the security guards. When he and his best friend Wally meet a professional skateboarder who videotapes himself for his website, Philip thinks they can do it too—and make money at the same time. When they start getting hits on their website—and making money—they start to feel the pressure to do more and more dangerous stunts.Synopsis
"All I'm saying is that if you took it down a notch or two, you'd make the jumps and save the injuries." "I always makes the jumps," I argued. "What are you talking about?" "I make the jumps. It's the landings that I'm having trouble with." Philip lives for skateboarding. School is merely the break between trying to land a difficult jump and outrunning the security guards. When he and his best friend Wally meet a professional skateboarder who videotapes himself for his website, Philip thinks they can do it too—and make money at the same time. When they start getting hits on their website—and making money—they start to feel the pressure to do more and more dangerous stunts. This is Eric Walters' second entry in the Orca Soundings series. Eric is a prolific author and a tireless presenter in schools from coast to coast.
Debbie West - Children's Literature
Phillip Falcone and his best friend, Walt Waltniski, love to skateboard in the empty school parking lot after school. Being chased by a security guard is the price they have to pay to enjoy their favorite sport. On one occasion they meet Bam Bam Bradley, a famous skateboarder. After he explains profit-making on the Internet, Phillip decides to build a website. With the help of Walt, a classmate named Nevlin builds a website for them. Phillips ex-girlfriend Lisa also skates in order to attract a larger audience. The website quickly makes money for the foursome. But Walt crashes while trying to perform a special trick. Phillip has to make some decisions while visiting his friend in the hospital. Walt encourages him to continue with the website and to work things out with Lisa. 2004, Orca Book Publishers, Ages 10 to 14.
Editorials
SouthWestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group
"I would recommend this to my juniors without reservation. Walters does a nice job of maintaining interest while using a subtle, low-level vocabulary."Canadian Book Review Annual
"Eric Walters creates characters that are believable and multi-dimensional... Highly recommended."CM Magazine
"A well-structured, briskly paced, realistic novel, with more 'showing' than 'telling' and no moralizing...Grind is a well-written work of literature that subtly shows that a weakness can also be a strength...Recommended."KLIATT
Orca Soundings books are published for the reluctant YA reader. This one, about a group of teens obsessed with skateboarding, packs a lot of plot into 100 pages. The narrator, Phil, with his best friend Wally, and his ex-girlfriend Lisa, figures out a way to make money by creating a Web site featuring their skateboarding action—they get paid based on the number of hits on the site because they have a corporate sponsor. This means they make more money if their stunts are more daring. This risk-taking ends in disaster for Wally, because he attempts stunts he isn't ready to make. The three also don't wear safety equipment, such as helmets to protect their heads and pads on their knees and elbow. Great cover art. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Orca Soundings, 100p., Ages 12 to 18.—Claire Rosser
Children's Literature
Phillip Falcone and his best friend, Walt Waltniski, love to skateboard in the empty school parking lot after school. Being chased by a security guard is the price they have to pay to enjoy their favorite sport. On one occasion they meet Bam Bam Bradley, a famous skateboarder. After he explains profit-making on the Internet, Phillip decides to build a website. With the help of Walt, a classmate named Nevlin builds a website for them. Phillips ex-girlfriend Lisa also skates in order to attract a larger audience. The website quickly makes money for the foursome. But Walt crashes while trying to perform a special trick. Phillip has to make some decisions while visiting his friend in the hospital. Walt encourages him to continue with the website and to work things out with Lisa. 2004, Orca Book Publishers, Ages 10 to 14.—Debbie West
VOYA
The Canadian-based Orca Soundings series fulfills the wishes of countless librarians and teachers by providing well-written, relevant stories geared toward lower level readers. These slender books are an easy sell with their colorful, teen-savvy covers and edgy titles. A broad range of topics and viewpoints allow readers plenty of choices for individual reading preferences, as demonstrated by four recent additions. Grind recounts the skateboarding adventures of Phillip and his friends. When the kids watch the famous professional skater Bam Bam Bradley shoot some video footage to use on his Web site, they get the idea of starting their own skateboarding site. Phillip finds himself pushing for better and better video footage, until he is forced to realize that his skateboarding ambition could be hurting his friendships. This story is a little less engaging than some other series books, but it is certainly of interest to skateboarders and their fans. There are eighteen previous books in the series. Most are suitable for middle school through high school readers. There are many reasons why teens find themselves uninterested in reading, but these books are great tools for luring them back. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Orca, 100p., Trade pb. Ages 11 to 18.—Diane Emge