Skate Freak

by Lesley Choyce

Dorf is all about skateboarding and so far that's worked out fine. But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wishes, school is more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding garners him the nickname and reputation of a freak. With daring stunts he gains the grudging respect of local troublemakers, but he needs to tap into another kind of courage to effect real change. Also available in French.

Genres: France

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Lesley Choyce is a novelist and poet living at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia. He is the author of more than 80 books for adults, teens and children. He teaches in the English Department and Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. He is a year-round surfer and founding member of the 1990s spoken word rock band, The SurfPoets. Choyce also runs Pottersfield Press, a small literary publishing house and hosted the national TV show, Off The Page, for many years. His books have been translated into Spanish, French, German and Danish and he has been awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.

Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.

His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.

Reviews

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorf is a skateboarder, but in a new city where he and his parents live he is called a freak. He gains an enemy for no reason, another skateboarder who bullies him, and things become complicated. This is a quick moving read, and interesting for middle grade and up. Nicely performed on Audible.

[MaRk Gorbea]

This book "skate freak" is a outstanding book it has swept me off my feet with the real life situation they include in this book. The book is about a skateboarder named Quinn who has moved into a new town and is an outsider in his new school. He's giving into peer pressure and doing dangerous stuff he wouldn't do and choosing the wrong group of people. I recommend this book to people who loves skating or teen issue books.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review
I really don't like reading but i would sit there and read a book for hours if i enjoy it. The kinds of book that i like reading is scary. Mystery, or something that has the same background as my Past, Present, Future. I do ok with reading but sometimes I don't understand a book because there are different words that i don´t know. I chose the book because there was a teenager with a skateboarder. I thought the book would talk about how good of a skater he was and all about his life. I still enjoyed the book because he had the same life as me he had a family that was trying to share him but he didn't want that.

Even know i really like this book, I thought that the author could add some pictures and drawings to the book. These would make the bok better because you would visually see what the characters look like. There are parts of the book that move too slow. Skate freak is the main kid in this story. He talked about how he was at school he would sit there and explain what he has to do and why. He would say how his teachers are mean to him and how the teacher seen him get bullied and just sat there watching as it happen.The school parts move very slowly. This is a problem because it just gets boring about he talks about his school. Inconclusive even though the book doesn't have any pictures or drawings and how he talks about school the book was great.

I fell in love with the book because it was basically talking about my life. The kid that i was reading about his parents split and he was hoping that they get back together but they didn't. He moved out with his dad and his dad had trouble getting a job. I can relate to this because my mom is having trouble finding a job and my father has a job but he's not in my life. I always wanted the kids parents to get back together.

I really enjoyed romance book and this is an romance book the book talks about ow the boy moves and he goes to the new school finds a pretty girl and wants her to be his she the most popular girl in school she loves to skate one day she saw him get bullied he was forced to do a race with a guy on the bike the guy on the bike ran him over a couple of times he was bruised really bad but he acted tuff the next day the girl saw him at the skate park and she went up to him asked him a few questions and they became friends. This book is easy to read because of how the author worded the book and how he talks about the boys life i can relate to it so much

I recommend this book for kids that are 13 or under because they could relate to some of this and the it is easy to read. Those who like romance book or skateboarding should read this book i highly recommend kids or even adults people of all ages should read this.

[Ben Bilbrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skate Freak by Lesley Choyce is an enticing growing up tale of a boy named Quinn who is surrounded by negativity and struggle. Skateboarding is his escape and the only place where he is happy. Skateboarding is why Quinn wakes up everyday, it is his life. With his mother gone, and his father jobless he is left with an unfavorable reality. He needs to adapt to his new school but he excels at skateboarding, not making new friends. Wishing his mom had never left, and he was still living at his old house, Quinn needs to figure something out, soon.


When Quinn’s mother left him for a job opportunity, he and his father were left it shock. His father decided to move to them to city where he felt he would find work. This meant one thing, they would be leaving Willis Harbor, the only home he had ever known. Being the new kid at school and the skate park, Quinn received gloomy looks from everyone around him. Everyone except for Jasmine. A fellow skateboarder, and the only person who he had things in common with. This novel takes place in a city where unlike Quinn’s old hometown, there is more violence and problems. The city skate park is often trashed from rowdy teenagers who are very unwelcoming. Being the new kid he needs to find a way to fit in.


Overall I enjoyed this novel. Being a skateboarder myself I could relate to certain aspects. This story had many scenes where I could imagine him skateboarding, grinding, and crashing. The book was not too complex too were I could not comprehend what was happening, but it it can sometimes use confusing skateboarding terms. I would recommend this book to people even if the do not skateboard because the plot and descriptive details override the skateboarding aspects, making it a book anyone could read.


To conclude, I believe this story is a great quick read that uses imagery to the fullest extent. The community of the skate park is somewhat unrealistic, but that does not take away from the fact that the author vividly portrays the struggles of a middle school boy. Skate Freak is a tale of a kid who moves to a new place and finally settles in and almost has it all taken away.

[Landon Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, the main character Quinn Dorfman, Dorf for short, is a skater kid who holds his skateboard closer to him than just about anything else. Dorf is getting used to moving to a new school. His family has had some serious issues leaving Dorf to be with his father in a new town. Dorf checks out the skatepark and eventually finds a girl at his school to be interested in. Dorf gets into some trouble though. At the skatepark, he meets a rude skater who ends up challenging him to a skate challenge. It ends with the rude skater falling into a bunch of broken glass. After some time, the two make up and become more friendly. Quinn Dorfman has to find peace with his family's situation.

The main focus of this novel is adjusting to the awkwardness of a new place to live. Dorf has to accept that things aren't going to be the same (which he does surprisingly well) and make some new memories and friends. Adjusting to a new school can be extremely difficult. Dorf expresses feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment just from the looks that he gets.

To me, this book was just pretty right. It was nice and short which was appreciated, but it got boring at points. I felt some connection and could relate at some points but the rest of the story was almost confusing. The book felt like there was no real connection between the characters. If it was more realistic, the reactions to circumstances in the book would be a lot different. I may recommend this book to someone who likes short books, but this would not be my first recommendation. I may recommend this if all other short books that I know are already off the table.

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre fait partie de la série Orca Currents, qui cible les ados dont le niveau de lecture est inférieur à leur année d'étude. Ce livre est donc également idéal pour les jeunes apprenants de français. L'histoire est assez courte et facile à comprendre, cependant les lecteurs de niveau B1/B2 en français vont quand même trouver pas mal de mots de vocabulaire.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The things I won't do (or read) for my student's!! ;)

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

When Quinn's mom decided to head west to attend a training school to become a heavy equipment operator, she left Quinn and his dad behind. Without a job to support them, Quinn's dad announced that the two of them would be leaving their little seaside town, as well.

Now, Quinn is living in the city and he hates it. He has already been targeted by the punks at school who call him a Freak. The one place he feels comfortable is on his skateboard, but even then he is harassed when he shows up at the skate park.

Skating is Quinn's release. When the skate park is filled with little kids and annoying teens, Quinn heads for the streets. The city has a lot to offer in the way of illegal skating entertainment, but there are also more cops around to stop him from riding in off-limit public places. One cop catches him riding the railing of a church and stops to give him some grief. Instead of hauling him in for destruction of property, the cop takes Quinn's board and tells him he'll need to bring a parent with him to pick it up at the station.

Quinn's dad isn't terribly upset when he drives Quinn to the police station. In fact, the trip nets Dad a job replacing the station's janitor, who recently quit. Having a job is a good thing for Quinn's dad, but it also means less of a chance of them leaving the city and returning to Quinn's hometown.

There is one bright spot in Quinn's life - Jasmine. When he sees her sticking her skateboard in her locker at school, he wants desperately to talk to her, but talking to girls has never been his strength. Fortunately, he bumps into her one Sunday morning at the skate park. They hit it off and begin meeting on Sunday mornings when the park is deserted. She even starts to help him with his school work enough that his grades begin to improve. Things seem to be working out for once, but of course, that doesn't last long.

Author Lesley Choyce has written sixty-eight books. SKATE FREAK is one in the Orca Currents series and is written with the reluctant reader in mind. Barely over 100 pages, it offers a high-interest story at an easy reading level. I had to sneak it out of my classroom to get a chance to read it.

[Ben Trethewey]

I thought this book was well put together, the story engaged me and I was hooked. I enjoyed the length of this story, as it didn't drag on, but still stayed descriptive and detailed.
The story is based around a boy named Quinn who moves into the city with his dad to find a job and potentially begin a new chapter of their lives; but there is one problem. Quinn hates the city with a passion! He starts to find the city life really difficult because all the kids call him names and bully him.

For Quinn, skateboarding is the only thing that he really mounts to and he will do anything to get on his board, it is his release from reality. Quinn got annoyed with the little kids and annoying teens at the skate park, so he headed to the streets. He is caught up by a cop and gets his board confiscated. Although his dad was annoyed with Quinn he was quite happy when they came out of the police station, because he got offered a job as the janitor of the station!

However, there is a positive in Quinn's life, the girl at his school called Jasmine that he always "accidentally" bumps into. He desperately wants to talk to her but he has always been shy around girls and is known to make a fool of himself around them. But one day they see each other at the skate park and that is when their relationship begins. Finally things seem to be working out in his life...But all good things come to an end.

I would strongly recommend this book to everyone, it is a short read and very easy to follow. I enjoyed reading this book thoroughly and hope everyone had the same experience as I had.

[Parker Mc. · Rating 1 out of 5]

For all the people who are energetic and love being active and outdoorsy, this is the book for you!

Skate Freak is about a kid whose Mom left her son Dorf and his Dad alone for a job in the city. Now that its just Dorf and his Dad, they also decide to leave their hometown in Seattle Washington and head out to a city to start a new life.

Dorf is all about skateboarding and so far that's worked out fine. But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wants, school is a lot more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding gives him the new name and reputation of a “freak”, a “skate freak”.With daring stunts he gains the respect of local kids who don't respect him much, but he needs to get into another kind of courage to effect real change of his life.

He also has some surprises coming along the way. School is hard, his grades are dropping and his Dad gets a job where he least expects it which means that they can't move back where he really wants to be, Seattle. But he also meets someone who will change the rest of his high school years and possibly for the rest of his life.

[Konner Sperle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book it is really fun to read. The main characters are Hodge and a few more people. The parts I liked are when he took his skate board on his friend’s roof and jumped off but he fails and landed hard on his side off the roof. There isn’t really I part I don’t like in the story.
Things that happen in the story are he skate board and he is a community spot and he grinds thing on his skateboard and when you grind you scratch the paint of whenever you grind. The things you grind on are metal. Then a police officer comes and takes his skateboard away. Then he went home and told his dad then his dad and he went down to the police station to get his Skate board back since the police station. When the police took him to the room where they have ever thing and he says “I could take any board I want in here but I want my own” he was better on his own.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There happened a lot in this book. All the people changed. There was a lot of changes though out the book. I really suggest this book I really liked it.

Dorf is one of the characters and he did change but I like the way he changed it was really intresting and nice. He met this girl named Jasmine and that's what made him change he really liked her. The best part of it is that he loves tho skateboard and so does the girl Jasmine. He changed in a sort of way he got to learn about rocks because the girl that he liked loved collecting rocks.

[Alexander Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that the book was one of the best books I've ever read. I liked how he made people better and what he did for his dad. I think that everything will be alright with Quinn and his parents. I recommend this book to people who likes to skate board or to people who likes to read about the life of a teenage skateboarder. I think this book can give people advises and help them with how to deal with moving to another place or how to get better at being a good person.

[Trever Weisser]

Skating is Dorfs life. He skates everyday! He has a great skate spot where he lives. But one day his dad tells him that they are moving. He gets really mad because he loves his town. But when he moves the skateparks are way different. School has gotten way harder for him everyday. Now he can not skateboard wherever he wants anymore. When he goes to the skatepark there is this mean kid who always rides his bike there. Will he get over his problems? maybe and maybe not.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book a 5 start because i love it it was so awesome. I say this because the authors writing was amazing how he had all little bit of details for the characters so the readers could know everything about him or her so that they can get a really good idea about what is going to happen or a prediction. Another thing i love about the book is when the author showed the solution right there in the book and showed the problem.

[Jesseweaver]

I liked this book. The author made this book feel like it was a real story. That someone had actually experienced. I like how she played the book out by making the family in the book slowly work things out and be a family again. I would recommend you to read. I bet it would only take you 45 mins to read it.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is such a great book. i loved it because it showed what teenagers go through in school with bullys and girls or guys.it also showed the pain in divorce and the struggles of moving to a new neighborhood and it a very touching story. READ IT!

[Julian Silvera · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book Quinn went thour so much and i can relate to it so i thank that this book was made!

[Amanda Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Skate Freak" is a fun read, that anyone who had to move in adolescence can relate to. It is about getting to know yourself and growing up. plus there's skating references. Fun!

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special.

[MizziQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a simple but enjoyable book. It wasn't REALLY anything very special but its definetly passable adn I enjoyed it.

[Daniel Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many times. I LOVE it you should read it i dont know what im really doing but your going to love this book !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robert Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that the book was great because its about a skater and i am a skater. i think that Quinn was to shy
to tell Jasmine that he likes her. Jasmine

[Jesus Ruiz]

this book is very cool

[Jake Bova]

i like this book. The ending suprised me because i thought it was going to end differently. I liked the book once i got into the book.

[Jonathan Garcia]

I am on page 74 and so far, the book is alright.

[Ms. Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

R.L:3.6 = PTS:2.0 Julian say that this book about a skateboarder kid that he move to a new home his mom somewhere to the west ,so she left them the kid.

[Yuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very good and about State-board..

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and sweet while still staying "real." I have high hopes for using this with students!

[Nick Trainor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best books ive seen because it is just like my life and it's just really good.