Description
Sticks and Ranga live on the same street, go to the same school and love the same things - skateboarding and PlayStation. When new kid James arrives in his wheelchair, Sticks isn't sure they can be friends. But Sticks quickly discovers they have a lot in common.
Cerebral palsy stops James from doing some things but it hasn't dulled his sense of humour - and he's pretty brainy, too. The only thing James can't do is join Sticks and Ranga when they go skateboarding - or can he?
Three mates, a beat-up old couch, a couple of skateboards and a steep hill ... what could possibly go wrong?
Teacher Notes are available for this title at www.fremantlepress.com.au
Review
Don’t be fooled by the cover! You may think that this is just a book about skateboarding, but it is far more than that.
Readers will find the characters easy to relate to. Ian (Sticks) and his best mate Warren (Ranga) are interested in your typical teenage pursuits of Playstation and skateboarding and are excited and focused on the upcoming skateboarding competition.
But when a new kid, James, who is in a wheelchair, moves in across the road, they are confronted with a situation that is very foreign to them. How are they going to be friends when James can’t do all the things they do?
The three of them form a strong connection and learn a great deal about life from each other, but Sticks and Ranga want James to experience the thrill of skateboarding and come up with a very ill-thought out plan for this to happen.
Friendship, acceptance, consequences for your actions and being treated like everyone else were the key themes that I took from this book.
It is not a long book, and will appeal to boys 12+
Reviewed by Sam
