SKATEBOARD SIBBY

Sibby, a talented skateboarder, must
move after her father loses his job.

Moving would be hard enough, but she’s
broken her skateboard, and without one, she’s bereft and seething with
frustration and anger at the unwanted changes in her life. Shortly after she
arrives in her new home, a bullying skateboarder, Freddie, mocks Sibby and her
new almost-friends then challenges her to a skateboarding duel, mostly to
embarrass her. If she loses—and she’s unwilling to not accept his challenge—she
has to give him her cool skateboarding shoes that she won in a competition. After
his grandfather dies, the other kids sagely realize that his long illness may
account for Freddie’s increasingly bad behavior. When the skateboarding
challenge finally occurs, Sibby has, predictably, gained some insight into her
own feelings and those of the others in her group, enabling her both to skate
well and to reach out to Freddie. Rich with skateboarding language, it’s the
insider view of that culture that sets this effort apart from other tales dealing
with bullies. Although Sibby is somewhat three dimensional, other characters
lack sufficient development to breathe life into them. Set in Nova Scotia, the
book adheres to the white default. Childishly cute cover art makes this appear
to be a story for a much younger audience.

An average tale that catches some
air thanks to a strong, even “super dope,” skateboarding theme. (Fiction.
10-12)