Ramp Rats: A Graphic Guide Adventure - Softcover

O'Donnell, Liam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1551438801 ISBN 13: 9781551438801

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2008

Synopsis

Fresh from his adventures in Wild Ride, Marcus is back and helping his cousin, Bounce, learn to skate. Between learning how to ollie and do a 50-50 grind, Bounce and his friends also have to avoid the skate-park goons and take on the outlaw bikers who are terrorizing the small town. Excitement, action and some radical skating tips. Hang on for another wild ride!

About this title

About the Authors

Liam O'Donnell is an author and educator who has created over forty books and graphic novels for young readers, including the Max Finder Mystery, Graphic Guide Adventure and West Meadows Detectives series. He was born in Northern Ireland and came to Canada when he was five years old. He studied media at Ryerson University and has worked on film sets in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Liam lives in London, Ontario.

Mike Deas is an author/illustrator of graphic novels, including Dalen and Gole and the Graphic Guide Adventures series. While he grew up with a love of illustrative storytelling, Capilano College's Commercial Animation Program helped Mike fine-tune his drawing skills and imagination. Mike and his family live on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

From the Back Cover

Between learning how to ollie and do a 50-50, Bounce and his friends also have to avoid the skate park goons and take on a gang of outlaw bikers.

From the Inside Flap

"Graphic novel, skateboarding, bullies"

Reviews

Grade 3–6—In this second installment in the series, Marcus is ready to fight small-town corruption and share his knowledge of skateboarding with his stepbrother Bounce, a scrappy boy who is tired of being pushed around by the local skate-park bullies. While preparing for the big skate showdown against this band of meatheads, Marcus, Bounce, and his friend Pema provide step-by-step instructions on how to execute fancy moves, such as a 50-50 grind and a tailslide. Some of these tutorials verge on being too complicated and abstract for those lacking in actual skate experience. Unlike the wilderness survival skills dispensed in Wild Ride, the first in the series, these skating tips aren't quite as universal or of interest to as wide an audience. Nevertheless, the book's fun, stylish art and underdog story will appeal to many readers.—Lauren Anduri, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Benny (nicknamed Bounce) just wants to use the cool new skate park with his friend Pema, but older, bullying Crunch and his friends have taken over the park. The rest of the town is off-limits for skateboarding, and Officer Branco is very vigilant at catching skateboarders in violation of this law; oddly enough, he is not nearly as effective at stopping the vandals who are shutting down businesses across town. When Benny’s stepbrother Marcus comes for the summer, things heat up. Benny bets he can beat Crunch in a skateboarding competition for rights to use the park, and he and Pema discover that a motorcycle gang called the Hell Hogs are working a protection racket and are responsible for the vandalisms. Aside from the action-packed story, great characters, and colorful artwork, this graphic-novel adventure includes an array of practical skateboarding tips for beginners. The story also delivers a deft message about standing up to bullies as it depicts Benny’s growing determination and self-confidence. Grades 4-6. --Kat Kan

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1551438801
• ISBN 13: 9781551438801
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Deas Mike
• Number of pages: 64