My 15 year old friend, David, told me something the other day that made me sad. He said that he never reads books, unless it’s assigned for school, NEVER! He says he hates to read.
Since Brown Bear Daughter communicated my concern (squealed on me) to David, he came back and told me today that he is reading a book now that’s not for school: a biography about Russian ice skater Ekaterina Gordeeva and her late husband, also an ice skater. He says it’s a really good book, and he shared some information he had learned from the book about Russian skaters in general. You see, my friend David is an aspiring ice skater.
This semi-conversion on David’s part to the world of reading confirms a theory, not original with me. Almost everyone can be enticed to enjoy reading; you just have to find the right hook. Now I know David’s hook, or one of them at least, so can anyone direct me to some good books related to ice skating, appropriate for a 15 year old boy? He’s a good kid, so I figure if I don’t innundate him but just give him about one book a month, he’ll try them out for my sake.
What books would you give David the Ice Skater?
4 thoughts on “Ice Skating and Reading”
I’d go with Ender’s Game or maybe the Prydain Chronicles.
I didn’t begin to really enjoy reading until college, so there’s hope yet.
figure skating only? or ice skating in general? you might be able to get him interested in the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team’s story. There’s a movie called MIRACLE all about it, and I just ordered a book for my husband called The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey. Not sure if it is any good, but you might take a look if he is interested in hockey at all.
As a passionate fan of figure skating I have quite a few skating related books in my collection. My top 5 recommendations would be My Sergei by ekaterina Gordeeva (probably the one he’s reading), Landing it by Scott Hamilton, boitano’s Edge by Brian Boitano,The Winning Attitude by Michelle Kwan, and A Passion to Skate by Sandra Bezic.
Other good skating books would be The Official Book of Figure Skating by the U.S.figure skating Association, Stars on Ice by Barbara Wilner, Figure Skating a celebration by Beverly Smith, Choreography and style for ice skaters by Ricky Harris, both of the books by skating team Brassuer & Eisler, and the series of biographies of skaters (such as oksana Baiul, kristi Yamaguchi,etc.) by Chelsea house publishing. There are many more!
For a teenage aspiring skater I especially think Michelle Kwan’s the winning attitude is a must read because she really goes into the mindset & personal traits you need to succeed in skating & in life.
My 17-year-old brother is the exact same way. He claims to not enjoy reading and generally fails the read the books assigned for school. But he’s managed to read all three of the books in the Eragon series, loves Clive Cussler novels, and can go through entire books on computer game strategy. It’s odd.
I think I’ve read the book David is reading. If it’s the same one, it’s wonderful and I hope he enjoys it!
I’d go with Ender’s Game or maybe the Prydain Chronicles.
I didn’t begin to really enjoy reading until college, so there’s hope yet.
figure skating only? or ice skating in general? you might be able to get him interested in the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team’s story. There’s a movie called MIRACLE all about it, and I just ordered a book for my husband called The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey. Not sure if it is any good, but you might take a look if he is interested in hockey at all.
As a passionate fan of figure skating I have quite a few skating related books in my collection. My top 5 recommendations would be My Sergei by ekaterina Gordeeva (probably the one he’s reading), Landing it by Scott Hamilton, boitano’s Edge by Brian Boitano,The Winning Attitude by Michelle Kwan, and A Passion to Skate by Sandra Bezic.
Other good skating books would be The Official Book of Figure Skating by the U.S.figure skating Association, Stars on Ice by Barbara Wilner, Figure Skating a celebration by Beverly Smith, Choreography and style for ice skaters by Ricky Harris, both of the books by skating team Brassuer & Eisler, and the series of biographies of skaters (such as oksana Baiul, kristi Yamaguchi,etc.) by Chelsea house publishing. There are many more!
For a teenage aspiring skater I especially think Michelle Kwan’s the winning attitude is a must read because she really goes into the mindset & personal traits you need to succeed in skating & in life.
My 17-year-old brother is the exact same way. He claims to not enjoy reading and generally fails the read the books assigned for school. But he’s managed to read all three of the books in the Eragon series, loves Clive Cussler novels, and can go through entire books on computer game strategy. It’s odd.
I think I’ve read the book David is reading. If it’s the same one, it’s wonderful and I hope he enjoys it!