Ice Skating: From Axels to Zambonis [Mass Market Paperback]

Dan Gutman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997 | Age Level: 9 and up

Introduces the history, famous performers, anecdotes, and trivia of the sport of ice skating.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-10?An encyclopedic work on ice skating or, more accurately, on figure skating. Gutman chronicles its history and traces how it became the organized sport/art form we know today. The evolution of skates is discussed as are the development of techniques and the current stress on astonishing combinations. Well-known jumps are described and diagrams are provided to help clarify the moves. A backward glance is given to the early stars of the sport and there is a section on the superstars of the 1990s. Average-quality black-and-white archival photos and reproductions appear throughout; an eight-page insert of glossy, full-color action shots falls at the center of the book. Listings of Olympic, World, and U.S. champions are appended for quick reference. Gutman's journalistic style makes for quick and easy reading and his inclusion of miscellaneous tidbits adds interest. It is the up-to-date information and the trivia that set this offering apart from earlier selections that have important strengths of their own. Mark Heller's The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ice Skating (Paddington, 1979; o.p.) has excellent coverage of ice skating's history and techniques. Dianne DeLeeuw's Figure Skating (Atheneum, 1978; o.p.) also gives greater detail on techniques.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. Gutman packs in more than enough information for report writers and presents it in a thoroughly entertaining, enthusiastic style that will appeal to ice-skating fans and browsers alike. From the early history of ice skating to the intricacies of international competition, from descriptions of specific techniques to biographies of famous skaters, he provides solid facts as well as enough intriguing, offbeat, gossipy tidbits to make readers feel they have inside knowledge about the sport. He also supplies a bibliography, a chronology, a glossary, and complete lists of champions for all types of figure-skating competitions through 1994. Illustrations not seen in galley. Chris Sherman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140375015
• ISBN-13: 978-0140375015
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #600,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Sports > Winter Sports

More About the Author

This is hard. I'm a pretty regular Jersey guy who spent fifteen years trying to write newspaper articles, magazine articles, screenplays, books for adults, and just about everything else before I discovered the one thing I'm good at--writing fiction for kids. I aim for kids who DON'T like to read, and hopefully the kids who DO like to read will enjoy my stuff too. For all the gory details about me, check out my web site.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother!, January 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ice Skating: From Axels to Zambonis (Mass Market Paperback)

I got the feeling that this book was hastily put together to cash in on the popularity of figure skating. There is an unbelievable amount of incorrect information! Don't waste your money on this one! My recommendation for a great book to give a child on the subject of skating is "Boitano's Edge". The information in this beautiful book is accurate, inspiring and fun.

4.0 out of 5 stars Axels, salchows, and the Dutch Roll, December 15, 2007

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ice Skating: From Axels to Zambonis (Mass Market Paperback)

My sister and niece both figure skate competitively, so I figured it was time to learn something about their sport. "Ice Skating" by Dan Gutman is a good beginner's book with lots of memorable quotations, although even I know that his description of a `death spiral' is incorrect:

"The couple originated the `death spiral' spin---the one in which the lady is held by her legs [sic] and spun in a wide circle so her head nearly scrapes the ice."

This book was published in 1995 and contains short biographies and color pictures of some of the skaters (mostly but not entirely American) who were popular back then, including Michelle Kwan, Christopher Bowman, Scott Hamilton, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

One of my favorite biographies is that of Dick Button, who is pictured as an earnest young man in a flying sit spin. I have always loved him for his acerbic commentary on the TV ice skating championships, but he was first and foremost a top skater, and the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. (He also used to have a full head of hair!). I had always thought Button was famous for his spins, but he also introduced many new jumps, including the double salchow, the double loop, the double flip, the double lutz, the double axel, and the difficult triple axel (which some men still have problems performing, including the current world champion).

The author spins a sprightly history of ice skating (mainly figure skating), starting with the unfortunate Swiss skater who tumbled through a hole in the ice and drowned some time around 3000 B.C. This accident preserved for posterity the first primitive pair of bone skates ever discovered, although historians believe the people of Finland were actually the first to don skates.

"Ice Skating" is a quick, enjoyable read for those of us who would like to learn more about this graceful sport.

5.0 out of 5 stars Figure Skating Sensation, April 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ice Skating: From Axels to Zambonis (Hardcover)

Gutman has written a clear, concise book about figure skating. It has biographies on today's skaters, skating history and wonderful photos (both black and color). It has lists of competitions and their winners. However, you may want to read something a little more recent. But it's still a great read!