Blades, Boards & Scooters, the latest from Keltie Thomas (How Hockey Works), captures every imaginable aspect of the mania for these popular activities. Beginning with safety tips and a look at the sports’ histories, Thomas goes on to describe the great performers, insider terminology, and the maintenance and mechanics necessary for both fun and competition.

Especially welcome for parents is Thomas’s knack for combining information about cool ways to dress for these sports while still keeping in mind safety and traffic concerns. And given the cost of the equipment, the numerous tips on care and repair will also be gratefully received by parents. Young readers will likely enjoy the nifty terms in the text, such as shredders, rippers, goofy-footers, and a 900 (degrees, that is, meaning two and a half turns in the air.)

Thomas’s lively, concise prose is well complemented by a mix of cartoon illustrations and photographs that bring these action-packed sports to life in 64 pages. As well as showing some of the great names in action, the graphics help demonstrate some of the exciting moves, both basic and advanced.

A fun-filled, informative look at four of the most popular sports for young people these days, Blades, Boards & Scooters will go a long way toward enhancing the enjoyment of many young Canadians who blade, board, and scoot on a daily basis.