Skate

Michael Harmon

$16.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Bantam Books Inc
15 February 2008

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Michael Harmon offers an authentic and tough new skateboarder narrator for teen guy readers. Skate sounds gritty, and it is. But for all the hard subjects it takes on (a parent's drug addiction, abandonment, rage, punching a teacher), it's an emotional and nuanced story of the bond between two brothers in search of family. And the dialogue is fast, spot-on, and often very funny.

Now in paperback, Skate was Michael Harmon's debut, and it's a stunner. It's hard to believe he's not a full-time writer; Harmon runs two businesses and writes on the side when he can. Michael Harmon met Chris Crutcher (they live in the same city), and Crutcher quickly became his writing mentor as soon as he read his work. This paperback edition is timed with Mike's next novel for young adults on the Knopf list.

There's not much keeping Ian McDermott in Spokane, but at least it's home. He's been raising Sammy practically on his own ever since their mom disappeared again on one of her binges. They get by, finding just enough to eat and plenty of time to skateboard.

But at Morrison High, Ian is getting the distinct, chilling feeling that the administration wants him and his board and his punked hair gone. Simply gone. And when his temper finally blows-he actually takes a swing at Coach Florence and knocks him cold-Ian knows he's got to grab Sammy and skate. Run.

Their search for the one relative they can think of, their only hope, leads Ian and Sammy across the entire state of Washington in the cold and rain-and straight into a shocking discovery. Through it all, Ian knows exactly what he has to do- protect Sammy, and let no one split up their family of two. Michael Harmon tells a nuanced and unflinching story of wilderness survival, the fierce bond between brothers, and teen rage-and redemption.

By: Michael Harmon
Imprint: Bantam Books Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 172mm, Width: 106mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 142g
ISBN: 9780553495102
ISBN 10: 0553495100
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 15 February 2008
Recommended Age: From 14 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Michael Harmon's hobbies include backpacking, fishing, woodworking, and building skateboard and snowboarding ramps for his kids in the backyard. Skate is his first novel. The author lives in Spokane, WA.

Reviews for Skate

Readers will continue to cheer for this outsider who finds life's deck stacked against him. . . . A must-read for fans of Chris Crutcher. -The Bulletin [A] remarkable first novel. -Kirkus Reviews Harmon compellingly renders wary, brittle Ian, particularly the tension between his admirable motivations and his self-destructive impulses. -Booklist A marvelous debut. -Kirkus Reviews Harmon knows the world of outsiders, and he writes in a dead-on true voice, both funny and tragic. -Chris Crutcher