(4) K-3 SportsZone: Extreme Sports Stars series. These biographies cursorily profile extreme athletes, focusing on their wins at the X Games and other competitions. Fans will be most interested in the full-page and -spread photos showing the athletes flipping through the air on their BMX bikes, snowboards, or skateboards. The black and neon paint-splattered graphics and some poorly reproduced photos make for an unattractive design. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review includes these Extreme Sports Stars titles: Jamie Bestwick, Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana, Tony Hawk, and Torah Bright.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk: Live2Skate series. Illustrated by Fernando Cano & Joe Azpeytia. In Above, fifteen-year-old skateboarder and budding filmmaker Nate loses his skating footage in a fire. At Large follows thirteen-year-old Ryan when he travels to South America as one of the youngest members of an elite skate team. These leveled texts don't offer much depth, but the fast-paced action, skate jargon ("grinding rails," "carving quarterpipes"), and hip cartoon illustrations will please skateboard fans. Glos. Review covers these Tony HawkLive2Skate titles: At Large and Above.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk: Live2Skate series. Illustrated by Fernando Cano & Joe Azpeytia. In Above, fifteen-year-old skateboarder and budding filmmaker Nate loses his skating footage in a fire. At Large follows thirteen-year-old Ryan when he travels to South America as one of the youngest members of an elite skate team. These leveled texts don't offer much depth, but the fast-paced action, skate jargon ("grinding rails," "carving quarterpipes"), and hip cartoon illustrations will please skateboard fans. Glos. Review covers these Tony HawkLive2Skate titles: At Large and Above.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution series. Illustrated by Wilson Tortosa. In this thirteenth and last book in the series, the Revolution concludes its worldwide search for the missing fragments of Tony Hawk's mystical 900 skateboard. The final face-off pits the "Revolution against Collective, good versus evil," skating to the ultimate extreme-sport finish. The fast-paced action, dialogue chock-full of skating lingo, graphic-novel insert, and familiar characters will mainly appeal to reluctant readers.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution series. In Impulse, New Yorker Dylan Crow comes to join the Revolution team--a group of teens united by the special power of Tony Hawk's shattered skateboard. In Exiled, Dylan finds his loyalty questioned by the group, while the Revolution continues to rally against the evil Collective in Lockdown. Short action-filled chapters, dialogue that includes extreme-sports lingo, and graphic-novel sections mid-book will mainly appeal to reluctant readers. Review covers these Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution titles: Lockdown, Impulse, and Exiled.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution series. Illustrated by Wilson Tortosa. In Impulse, New Yorker Dylan Crow comes to join the Revolution team--a group of teens united by the special power of Tony Hawk's shattered skateboard. In Exiled, Dylan finds his loyalty questioned by the group, while the Revolution continues to rally against the evil Collective in Lockdown. Short action-filled chapters, dialogue that includes extreme-sports lingo, and graphic-novel sections mid-book will mainly appeal to reluctant readers. Review covers these Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution titles: Lockdown, Impulse, and Exiled.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution series. Illustrated by Caio Majado. In Impulse, New Yorker Dylan Crow comes to join the Revolution team--a group of teens united by the special power of Tony Hawk's shattered skateboard. In Exiled, Dylan finds his loyalty questioned by the group, while the Revolution continues to rally against the evil Collective in Lockdown. Short action-filled chapters, dialogue that includes extreme-sports lingo, and graphic-novel sections mid-book will mainly appeal to reluctant readers. Review covers these Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution titles: Lockdown, Impulse, and Exiled.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) YA Tony Hawk–worshipping British fifteen-year-old Sam--himself the offspring of teenage parents--is about to become a father. Sam's stream-of-consciousness narration moves between bewilderment, panic, and older-than-his-years observation. He also occasionally, unsettlingly time-travels into the future, foreshadowing some convincingly awkward parenting skills. Hornby brings his particular blend of humor and pathos, tinged with socio-economic awareness, to his first young-adult novel.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA People in the News series. These books follow the ups and downs of the basketball and skateboarding stars' lives, from childhood to adulthood. Their achievements, successes and failures, and controversies are included, though the books are generally laudatory. The many photos and sidebars are of the usual fan magazine caliber. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: LeBron James and Tony Hawk.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Benchmark All-Stars series. Six well-known athletes are profiled in these readable biographies. The texts, an appealing mix of personal and professional details, are accompanied by a variety of large color photographs. A couple of the books are missing up-to-date information, such as Armstrong's 2004 Tour de France win, and there's only a brief mention of Rodriguez's trade to the Yankees. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Benchmark All-Stars titles: Alex Rodriquez, Donovan McNabb, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, Tony Hawk, and Yao Ming.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes series. These books for reluctant readers briefly cover each subject's early years before focusing on his or her athletic career. The coverage is superficial and adulatory but accessible; controversy and adversity are ignored. Action photos, a timeline, and stats help break up the text. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard: Awesome Athletes titles: Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Tony Hawk, Kobe Bryant, Venus & Serena Williams, and Yao Ming.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn