Boitano's Edge: Inside The Real World Of Figure Skating (Hardcover)

by Brian Boitano (Author), Suzanne Harper (Author) "WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, I was a daredevil roller skater on the sidewalks of Sunnyvale, California, where I grew up..." (more)
Key Phrases: Winter Olympics, Brian Orser, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Brian Boitano was a "daredevil roller skater" in Sunnyvale, California, before his mother took him to an ice show at age 8. After that he laced up figure skates instead, and as any of the sport's growing legion of fans know, his dream to win an Olympic medal came true in Calgary in 1988. Boitano's Edge is an insider's look at competitive figure skating. Filled with photographs and reminiscences spanning the gold-medalist's career, it also includes a glossary of skating terms; information on training, choreography, and the judging process; and even a program diagram.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up?As coverage of Olympic and championship competition in ice skating increases, there is growing interest in the lives and training of these dazzling performers. This oversized account of the career of Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympics Men's Single Champion at Calgary, Canada, is filled with full-color photos, quotations from fellow competitors such as Scott Hamilton, statistics, and skating hype. There are double-page spreads on U.S. champion skaters from 1914 to 1997, including ice-dance winners since 1936 and that sport's inclusion in national competition. Additional sections give world championship and Olympic records from 1896 to 1997 in the first category and from 1908 to 1997 in the latter. A portion of the text concerns the rules, structure, and scoring of competitive events. A technical section includes instruction in jumps, loops, drops, and spins in their infinite variety. This title is both handsome and informative.?Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689819153
• ISBN-13: 978-0689819155
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #916,659 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #23 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Winter Sports > Nonfiction
  #46 in	Books > Sports > Winter Sports > Ice Skating & Figure Skating

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Lovers of Skating and Brian Boitano..., May 4, 1999

By A Customer

This is an excellent book for anyone who LOVES Figure Skating and Brian Boitano. In this book, Brian Boitano takes you on a journey through the various aspects pertaining to Figure Skating, and gives the inside story of his own personal life of Figure Skating from his childhood up to the present time. As you read through Boitano's Edge, you get a full overview of Brian's career on the ice, while learning more about Brian Boitano. When it comes to pictures of Brian in various Figure Skating stances, this book has a tremendous amount to look at, along with much comment from Brian as well. This book is a MUST to add to your book collection or to set on your coffee table and share with others. A definite recommendation to give as a gift to a friend who also shares a GREAT liking for Brian Boitano. I give this book a DOUBLE THUMBS UP, as it is ONE of my MOST FAVORITE books ever and Brian Boitano is also my favorite Male Figure Skaters too. Add this book to your collection, and you won't be sorry you did...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students love this book!, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

I teach 4th grade, and this book is in my classroom library. My students love this book as it gives them an insight into this sport. The negative reviews about this book totally shocked me, but then I realized that they were just thinly disguised opportunities for those "reviewers" to take a swipe at Brian Boitano and nothing more. This book was not meant to be a "tell-all". Its main focus group was children, but it's a lovely book for all ages--provided you're not looking for "dirt". What I have gotten out of this book is that Brian Boitano is a dear young man of integrity, honesty and morals who loves to skate more than anything else in the world. He is the epitome of what a role model should be. The sporting world needs more people like him.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful gift, November 1, 1999

By A Customer

I received this book as a gift, and I cannot tell you how pleasant I found it. The photographs are lovely. The text is charming and delightful. This is the perfect edition to my library, and it's a book that's perfect for all ages to read. Brian Boitano should be very proud of this book.