The Bottom Line
Pros
- In a magical way, the story promotes the joy of figure skating.
Cons
- The story may not make sense to some readers.
Description
- Geared for readers between the ages of 9 and 12 years old, but older and younger readers will also enjoy the story.
- 156 pages
- Published in 2008 by Tate Publishing
- Paperback
- Includes some illustrations
- Written by Olga Jaffae
- Cover design by Elizabeth A. Mason
- Illustrated by Brandon Wood
Guide Review - Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland
Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland is a children's figure skating book about a young and very proud ice skater named Cammie. She likes doing jumps and spins; she believes that jumps and spins are all that make an accomplished figure skater. She feels that practicing Moves in the Field, edges, turns, and figures are a waste of time.When she, and another skater named Alex, are told by their coach that they cannot compete in a competition since their fundamental figure skating skills need work, the children decide to enter the competition anyway. They try to sneek into the figure skating event which is being held at an ice arena called Skateland. As they travel to the competition location, they end up going on a magical and scary adventure. In their adventure, they meet witches who set traps and play tricks on ice skaters who haven't mastered the basics of skating. They learn lessons in the story; at the end, their lives and their attitudes change.
Both children learn that the joy of figure skating can be achieved if figure skating basics are mastered. The children also learn about honesty and kindness. They discover that jumping and spinning are not the only things that make good figure skaters. They find out that ice skating can make people of all ages and abilities happy and that the sport can bring much joy.
The book is fun and easy to read. There are some illustrations which help give the reader an idea of what Cammi and Alex's adventure is like. The book's message about the joy of skating may be hard to understand for some readers, but the idea and plot is very original and could be a welcome addition to any figure skating library. (A similar message about where the joy of figure skating comes from was addressed by figure skating legend Janet Lynn in 2008.)
