Publisher Description

Skateboarder Josh Lowman witnesses one of the best skateboarders in town (the local bully) commit a crime. For days he agonizes over whether to tell anyone. Meanwhile, his friendships with a fellow skater (who is debating whether to drop out of school), a beautiful girl in his class (who loves to read, and seems to like Josh), and a cool math tutor (a college student who skates) slowly steer him toward a new kind of courage.Josh has a mesmerizing narrator's voice; he rattles off a vacuous Valley-speak while slowly coming into his own, intellectually and morally. There is a hint of Holden Caufield about him. Vivid descriptions of skateboarding throughout the book will keep any skateboarder glued to the page. And a plot that rolls ahead constantly will maintain the reader's attention, while intermittently sneaking in a few lessons from English and math class, which serve to advance the story. (References to math in skateboard ramp design; plus small epiphanies from Lord of the Flies, Antigone, and Of Mice and Men.) Josh starts out as a school-hating dude and slowly comes around to seeing that he can skate and be smart . . . and a decent person.Vertical will be loved by kids and by parents and teachers.

Author Biography

Janet Berend has taught English and Creative Writing at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California for the past fifteen years

Table of Contents

Rat Traps 7 Nobody Likes a Rat 11 Falling 18 Earthquake Drills 21 Maximum Brotherhood 23 One-Two Punch 29 Bright Horizons 33 Word of the Day 36 Different Directions 43 Restoration of Broken Parts 47 Antigone 50 Initiation 54 Solo 63 Grace Is Sick 67 Obscure 73 Stupid Shoe 80s Little Tremors 83 The Big One Hits 86 Ice Chips 89 Passing Gas 91 Squeaky Shoes 94 Sick 96 Yoda 99 Men and Mouses 103 Pull the Trigger 106 Leaving 110 Sucky Endings 111 Puzzle Pieces 113 Lost in the Wilderness 116 Preparing for Battle 119 Slaying the Beast 121 Questions for Discussion 124 Glossary of Skating Terms 126 About the Author 128

Review

"I think Vertical is awesome! It felt like I was reliving the early years where my passion for skateboarding was so new, fresh, and profound."
--Danny Way, three-time X Games gold medalist "Berend captures perfectly the bravado and angst of teenage boys hooked on wanting to risk it all and terrified of losing something they can't define. A tightly drawn tale of when to speak out and the cost of friendship, Vertical glides in and out of trouble as deftly as Josh Lowman's skateboard."
--Sarah Collins Honenberger, author of the bestseller Catcher, Caught "Vertical gives you the true feeling of what it's like to have an obsession with skateboarding."
--Mike McGill, skateboarding legend "I really felt a connection to this book and all of the skateboarding parts. It just feels real."
--Mitchie Brusco, youngest athlete to compete in the X Games 2011 Mega Ramp, first person to land the 900 in Mega Ramp competition "The narrator's voice is very authentic. Skating details are incredible. . . . The tension builds gradually and becomes a real page-turner. . . . Teens will appreciate the appeal of day-to-day skating challenges overlaid with larger life challenges. Being a teenager often does feel like being at the top of a large half pipe and what kid doesn't want to feel that exhilaration of soaring above it all?"
--Laurie Stowell, Ph.D., California State University, San Marcos, Literacy Education

Review Quote

I think Vertical is awesome! It felt like I was reliving the early years where my passion for skateboarding was so new, fresh, and profound."

Description for Sales People

A mesmerizing narrator's voice: Josh Lowman rattles off a lowbrow Valley-speak while slowly coming into his own, intellectually and morally. There is a hint of Holden Caufield about him. Vivid descriptions of skateboarding throughout the book will keep any skateboarder glued to the page. A plot that drives ahead constantly, maintaining the reader's attention while intermittently sneaking in a few lessons from English and math class, which serve to advance the plot. (References to math in skateboarding; plus small epiphanies from Lord of the Flies, Antigone, and Of Mice and Men.) Josh starts out as a school-hating dude and slowly comes around to seeing that he can skate and be smart . . . and a decent person. A genuine moral dilemma for Josh over whether to turn in a fellow skater (the local bully), who Josh witnessed committing a crime. Ultimately this a book that will be loved by kids and by parents and teachers.

Details