Inventing the Skateboard

April 1, 2016

Gr 2-4-These highlights in the history of modern technology offer light doses of names and dates, along with nontechnical descriptions of significant early tweaks or innovations. The volumes take snowboarding from the time it was called "snurfing" through Shaun White's legendary run in the 2010 Olympics, computers from UNIVAC to the Apple II, and mobile phones from Marty Cooper's first taunting call to a competitor in 1973 to the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. Despite occasional gaps-Laine skips any mention of how color TV came to be-these titles will help young readers pair a range of common tools and toys with the often obscure men (all men, here) who made them possible. VERDICT Good choices for casual browsers and budding inventors.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2016
Grades 3-6 In this entry in the Spark of Invention series, kids will learn that the skateboards of today are the product of many people's efforts over time. Beginning with the crude boards of the 1920s, consisting of little more than a plank with roller skate wheels, the text moves forward to the 1960s. At this time, lifeguard and surfer Larry Stevenson started building better boards that had clay wheels and a rear tail to give skateboarders a smoother ride and more control. A final chapter highlights Frank Nansworthy's contribution: plastic wheels. Brief, cleanly laid out chapters, photo illustrations of kids and teens rolling down sidewalks or hitting the skate park (plus one skateboard diagram), and a glossary make for a breezy introduction to the evolution of a popular sport.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)