Planet 5th Book Review

On the Halfpipe with Tony Hawk by Matt Christopher is a great book. I think so and I bet you would too.

On the Halfpipe with Tony Hawk by Matt Christopher is a biography about a famous pro skateboarder. When he was just a little boy he was considered one of the best skateboarders. He was accepted into the CASL (California Amateur Skateboard League) when he was 12 years old. The CASL is a skateboarding league for kids. Tony was a master inventor of many skateboarding tricks, such as; the Ollie 540, the 360 Kickflip Mute Grab, the Madonna, the Varial 540 and the Popshuvit Nosegrind. Many of the skateboarding terms used today were actually invented by Tony Hawk many years ago. Tony was 20 years old when his dad, Frank Hawk, died. At first, I didn’t think his dad was famous, but the book stated that 900 people showed up at his funeral. Frank was a great inspiration to Tony. Whenever he got down on himself he always looked to his dad for help. When Tony was a little older, he and another skateboarder started a skateboard company called Birdhouse. His company was a success and at one time was selling over 20,000 skateboards per month. Tony went around the world giving speeches on skateboarding and winning competitions. After Tony won a couple skateboarding contests, he was asked by the X games to be in a trick contest with four other skaters. Tony was losing, so he tries to do the 900, which is an incredible two and a half flips off the halfpipe. No one had ever landed this trick before. To find out if he lands the 900 read the book, On the Halfpipe with Tony Hawk.

What I liked about the book was that it always made me want to keep reading. It always kept me wondering about what was going to happen next. The chapters were just the right size and never were too long. Sometimes, when I was reading, I had to stop and think to myself what it would be like to be in his position. Also, the book was never dull and boring because it always kept me wondering if he was going to pull off a trick or if his buisness would succeed. The author always kept me informed about what was going on in the story. Even though it was really short, it was really interesting. It was so easy to picture things in my head because most of the stuff in the book is on T.V. or in video games, like the skateboarding competitions and many of the tricks. The author made it really easy to read by not running sentences too long. That is why I liked this book.

The book’s theme or message was to never give up on your dreams. Always keep trying and never think you won’t succeed. Always believe in what you do in your life. In conclusion, that is why you should read On the Halfpipe with Tony Hawk, by Matt Christopher. Some people think biographies are really boring, but in this case that simply isn’t true.