Product Description
This digital document is an article from Child Life, published by Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. on April 1, 1994. The length of the article is 936 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The quest for speed: Eric Heiden.(speed skating champion)(Cover Story)
Author: Steve Boga
Publication: Child Life (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 1994
Publisher: Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc.
Volume: v73Issue: n3Page: p4(4)

Article Type: Cover Story, Biography

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Jet, published by Thomson Gale on March 27, 2006. The length of the article is 1897 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fire on ice: speedskater Shani Davis' historic journey to Olympic glory.(Cover story)(Biography)
Author: Melody K. Hoffman
Publication: Jet (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 27, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 109Issue: 12Page: 60(6)

Article Type: Cover story, Biography

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Ebony, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1808 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Shani Davis: soul on ice: how a mother raised a champion.(Biography)
Author: Tracey Robinson-English
Publication: Ebony (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 61Issue: 7Page: 174(6)

Article Type: Biography

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
"Perspectives" is designed for young independent readers. The series combines core non-fiction features with an emphasis on research skills. "My Amazing Body" correlates with the science curriculum and helps students to understand the connection between humans and animals. Using magnified photographs, the basic life processes about how the human body works and comparisons with other living things are explained. The books introduce the idea or looking at the body inside and outside. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents the success story of figure skater Tara Lipinski, who at fourteen-years-old became the youngest National Champion and World Champion in the history of women's figure skating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This biography ends before Tara's Olympics
There are many biographies (and an autobiography) of American figure skater, Tara Lipinski on the market, and this book by Veda Boyd Jones ends before the 1998 XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, where Tara won the gold medal in Ladies Figure Skating.You might prefer Totally Tara: An Olympic Journey by Mark Zeigler, which is primarily a children's picture book but does include her Olympic experience.Christine Brennan's 432-page Edge of Glory: The Inside Story of the Quest for Figure Skating's Olympic Gold Medals contains behind-the-scenes coverage of the 1997 - 1998 figure skating seasons, including Tara Lipinski's World Championship and Olympic Gold Medal, but it is not a biography of one particular skater.

This book by Veda Boyd Jones is just the right size to present a focused portrait Tara through the beginning and middle of her rise to figure skating glory.The controversy involving her brief amateur career, and the snide commentary on her personality are left for other authors to document (mainly, Christine Brennan).

At age 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest U.S. National Champion & the youngest World Champion in women's figure skating history.No one is likely to surpass this record, because the minimum age limit to compete at the World Championship is now set at 15.I remember her as a lithe, brilliant presence on the ice, and was quite saddened when she turned professional.

This 64-page biography is a part of Chelsea House Publishers' "Female Sports Stars" series and is illustrated with black-and-white photographs from Tara Lipinski's short but exceptional career, up through her 1997 59-city `Tour of World Figure Skating Champions,' sponsored by Campbell's Soups (earning what the author calls "a staggering amount of money.")Her Olympic glory was still to come.

This book will discourage all but the most persistent junior figure skaters from pursuing an Olympic dream.Tara Lipinski was a fierce competitor and practiced at least two hours a day on the ice.She had to drop out of school in 5th grade, and continue her education with tutors.She and her mother had to move away from their home in Texas to take advantage of the superior ice rinks and coaches on the East Coast.The author says of Tara's dream:"It was work.Practice, practice, practice.The more difficult a technical element, the more determined Tara became.If she couldn't master a movement, she concentrated harder."

This youngster was gifted with the perfect physique to become a world-class figure skater, but Tara's commitment and persistence to this difficult, beautiful sport is what this reader will remember the longest from this biography.

The Coolest Ice Skater
This book was really cool. It told everything that I would need to know about Tara, like that she was born on June 10 in Philadelphia. It really kept me in in the beginning and kept me through the whole time. It looks very long, but I wish it was longer.

Of Course Tara is a Legend!
Of course,Tara Lipinski is a legend! She broke Sonya Henies record, and was the first women to do a triple-ltriple loop combo.And the fact that she's been around for such a short time is a testament to her boundless talent.And if you think Olympic gold medalists,Peggy Fleming, and DorthyHamil are legends,(which no sane person will deny) then wheather you likeher on not, Tara Lipinski name is right besides them, AS A LEGEND.

Really great book
This book was really good. It tells about a "skating legand" and I am sorry but she is not bragging. If you like Tara Lipinski and love skating, read this book

Not Bad..... Still Bragging
It's another one of Tara's self centered books. Female skating legend? Yea right she's been around for what a year? But there is a few good tips and helpful quotes. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the young Chinese-American figure skater who won National and World Championships in 1996 and a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Michelle Kwan champion on ice
When Michelle was younger she wanted to be just like her older sister Karen. Karen was a skater so Michelle thought she had to be too, so she did. When Michelle became pro Karen was a little jealous because her sister had been winning more medals than her but she got over that. When Michelle was 15 she had one her first National Figure Skating Title. Ron (brother), was a hockey player he wanted nutting to do with skating but he did go to a couple of Michelle and Karnes competitions. The parents of those three were very happy parents; because of their children they also learned the part of being a teammate.

Michelle didn't even plan her life to be a pro skater; she really didn't even know what she wanted to be. But in the end she followed her sister and her sister leads her to be a pro skater.Michelle's parents (Estella and Danny) also encouraged their children to follow their dreams and so they did.

Beautiful book about a beautiful champion
This beautiful hardback book has gorgeous photos, and well written information concerning thebeautiful champion figure skater, Michelle Kwan. She has graced the ice with her mesermizing performances, and shown theworld how golden a champion can be with her extraordinary sportsmanship,integrity, and character. This book is written for young girls, but sowhat. This biography of Michelle Kwan, world-class figure skater, andworld-class sportswoman, is excellent reading for anyone with its lovelyphotos showcasing some of the most important events and people in her life.Her career and career goals are detailed more than personal life, and theultimate goal is highlighted throughout this book: be happy and do the bestone can. The author even thanks Michelle for being such a role model tomillions. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.

A very nicely done bio of America's ice sweetheart.
Very professionally done, perfect for all ages, fans of figure skating ornot.Kim Gatto tells of Michelle Kwan's life with class and grace thatMichelle herself would be proud of. Her account of the 1998 U.S.Championships, Michelle's career performance, is told wondefully. ... Read more

Product Description
At only 16, American Tara Lipinski achieved the dream of every figure skater. She won the world championship and then the Olympic gold medal at Nagano. Suddenly she was a huge star, appearing on magazine covers and TV talk shows, and signing endorsements and advertising contracts. Her success draws countless youngsters to the rink at all hours of the day and night to practice. Here is the story of what it took for Tara to get to the top in the glamorous world of figure skating.

Annis Karpenko is a freelance writer and editor. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the young Japanese American skater who won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hard to find book was found.
My daughter really wanted this book after hearing Jeff Savage speak at her school. I looked around but was unable to find it. Tried amazon and there is was. I got it very quickly with no hassels. Thanks.

I Got This Book As A Gift....
...and for the most part, although it's geared towards a younger audience, it's a great book to have if you are a big fan of Kristi Yamaguchi, mostly for the photos it includes.There are several photos of Kristi in Albertville, both on the podium and standing with her medal after the ceremony that I've not seen in any other book and that brought back great memories of watching it live all those years ago.One of the more interesting parts of this book is that it was written before Kristi decided to turn pro, and talks about her plans for Lillehammer in 1994 (how great would that have been if it had been true?). Some of the photos are incorrectly captioned, and the book doesn't really reveal any ground-breaking information about Kristi or her life that hasn't already been covered in other books, but I recommend it for the photos.If you are a BIG Kristi fan, regardless of your age, this book will fit nicely into your collection.Otherwise, for a better book on Kristi and skating in general, check out her "Figure Skating for Dummies". ... Read more

Product Description
Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner have spent more thanthirty years as skating partners and best friends. Linked at the agesof eight and ten, they grew up together, developed a unique pairsstyle and performing persona, then won the Championship Pairs event atthe 1979 World Figure Skating Championships.

Still at the height of their amateur career, they were forced by Randy's injury to withdraw from the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, just moments before what would have been one of the greatest East-West showdowns in sports history. That disappointment brought Tai and Randy worldwide empathy as well as a long and rich professional career. At the same time, it left behind repressed bitterness that manifested itself in sometimes dramatic ways.

With Forever Two As One, a lush, full-color volume with a stunning dust jacket and decorative endpapers, the reader relives the skaters' journey: through their own frank commentary; through the insights of friends like Robin Cousins, Scott Hamilton, Christopher Knight of The Brady Bunch, Hollywood designer Jef Billings, singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks, and choreographer Sarah Kawahara; and finally through 133 photos from Tai and Randy's personal collections. ... Read more

Product Description
Toller Cranston is: six-time Canadian figure-skating champion, celebrity, costume designer, artist extraordinaire, broadcaster, choreographer of skating routines, raconteur, bon vivant, coach, world traveller, art collector, legend, and enigma. In 1976 he won Olympic bronze (so why did it feel like defeat?). This book tells the story of his life after those fateful games at Innsbruck.

The rise and fall of Toller’s first professional ice show is described in soul-searing detail. His subsequent triumphant tour of Europe as the Skater of the Century is recounted, in contrast, with wicked humour. There are vignettes here of his encounters with the rich and famous from Leonard Bernstein to Pierre Cardin and of his life among Europe’s aristocrats and bohemians. Toller has experienced the high life and the low. He has stayed in the most luxurious hotels, held court in palatial houses, sought seclusion in beautiful estates. But the hard times have taken their toll.

In the early 1990s a combination of circumstances, including a disastrous professional association with out-of-control American skater Christopher Bowman and a lawsuit that dragged on for years (ending in complete victory for Toller), led to a personal crisis from which recovery came slowly. But even in the blackest hours, Toller’s humour and creative powers never deserted him.

This generously illustrated book is an extraordinary self-portrait written by a uniquely gifted individual. Toller’s wit, insight, and delicious way with words will entertain and astound readers whether they are skating fans or not. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Zero Tollerance
This book is both inspirational and insightful.It is a delight to read and the voice of Toller can be heard throughout.He is remarkably candid with his opinions

Zero Tolarence; and, not all remembered correctly.
I skated with Toller, as a principal, at Radio City Music Hall in the production of ICE, in New York City. I must admit that this book is extremely entertaining!! A must read for figure skaters and fans. But I was there! And though Toller said there was no closing night party, there was. Toller and I were there along with Peggy Flemming, Robin Cousins, and the rest of the cast. Plus, its producer: Bob Shipstad and choreographer: Sara Kawahara and pair skater, soon to become one of skatings most innovative producers and choreographers, Sandra Bezic.
But anything Toller writes is his interpretation, which is slightly different to what actually happened. Still, take it with a grain of salt -- and enjoy. I think Toller is one of the greatest skaters -- of any era. And perhaps the most esoteric skater of all time. I'll buy anything he writes and enjoy (if not agree)every word. His books are hilarious and witty.

Only readable for the mildly humorous writing style
What a disppointment! As other reviewers have stated, I too enjoyed Mr. Cranston's skating. I had read this in anticipation of his new book coming out, but now I will save my money.

There are some moderately interesting descriptions of skating tours in Japan and Central America. There are some vague descriptions of salacious or bizarre encounters with famous people. It should be a lot more interesting than it is. But Mr Cranston fails to make his era live for the reader, and he fails to offer any analysis of his decisions, making the book essentially pointless.Furthermore, any humor he achieves is ruined by two parallel themes: How great and Artistic Toller is, and how much he has Suffered. These themes were singularly unconvincing. ...

This is definately Toller!
An interesting look into the mind and life of Cranston.The figure skating world is shown, warts and all.Toller is definately THE most innovative and influential skater that has come along in this century.

Brilliant!
Toller Cranston is truly a complex and fascinating person, one of a kind both on the ice and off. I think it took great courage to write such an honest memoir.I had to force myself to put it down so I could savour itover the course of several days, when I really wanted to devour it all atonce. I'm sure he has much more to share, and I'm eagerly awaiting his nextbook! ... Read more

Product Description
This biography of Torvill and Dean tells the story of their relationship on and off the ice. Their Olympic triumph of 1984 is recounted along with the disappointment of their comeback attempt in 1994 when they won the bronze medal at Lillehammer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful treat for fans of the skating legend
Skating champs come and go, but Michelle will be remembered long after she hangs up her skates. Dignified in victory and gracious in "defeat" (since when are Olympic silver and bronze medals a loss????), she exemplifies the word "Champion" both on and off the ice.A must-have for Michelle's fans and for fans of the sport. ... Read more

Product Description
Photographs and text follow American figure skater Jill Trenary's final day of competition at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, where she placed fourth out of thirty-one competitors from around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A GREAT look at what it's like to skate at the Olympics
I originally bought this book for my younger sister and although it was a bit advanced for her at the time (it would probably be best for a 9-12 year old) we read it together and both of us enjoyed it.Jill gives a first-hand look at what it's like to skate for the Winter Olympics's biggest prize -- a medal in ladies figure skating -- and the story is complemented well with photos of Jill before during and after the competition as well as other photos from the Calgary Olympics that also bring you into her story.

Jill was very much in contention for one of the medals and although she ended up finishing just off the podium she has an excellent attitude, and describes her certificate indicating her finish with as much pride as if it were a medal.I would highly suggest buying this book if you know a young skater whose dream it is to go to the Olympics, as the most important thing both my sister and I took away from this book was not that she almost won a medal, but that she was THERE, in the middle of the Battle of the Brians, the Duel of the Carmens, and that she really enjoyed the whole experience of trying to skate her best at the biggest competition in the world. ... Read more

Product Description
The Olympic gold medalist offers a poignant, loving account of her life with her long-time partner and beloved husband, Sergei Grinkov, from their first introduction and successive world pairs skating championships, to their storybook romance and marriage, to the fatal heart attack that took Sergei's life. Tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (128)

Must read!!
A classic love story with a bittersweet twist. two ice skaters, thrown together by chance fall in love. I cna't give away much more without giving away the entire story. this story is a must read for any fan of pairs figure skating.

kaczenka
Love this book! I always was fan of G&G and only discovered little bit more about their life now. It's amazing to find out, that there is actually love like this! I can only wish I could ever have even 1/3 of such level oflove!Sorry for my mistakes, English is not my first language:)

Enchanting
I was in love with Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov from the moment I first saw them skating together. Their classic routines were perfect enough to win many world championships including a 1988 Olympic gold medal in Calgary Canada.

Romance eventually blossomed and the beautifully matched pair were married in April of 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in my favorite Morristown NJ a little over a year later.

Reading Katia's memories of their life and love still brings tears to my eyes.

I recommend this book for its portrait of pure innocence enframed in the magical world of ice skating.

A beautiful love letter
I'm really glad I found this book at a library book sale last year.Though this story is no longer current news, I hadn't forgotten about the tragic death of Sergey Grinkov or watching him perform with his wife Katya in the 1994 Winter Olympics.And even though the world has long since moved onto other headlines and stories of interest in the figure skating world, the love story told in this book is truly timeless.As a Russophile and a historian whose field of expertise is Russian history, it was a double joy to read because of all of the descriptions of Russian culture, the differences between Russian and American customs, and what life was like in the late Soviet period and the early post-Soviet period.(Although I have to say that the transliteration style wasn't completely pleasing to me; for example, I don't think I've ever read any other book where a double O is used in place of the letter U, as in Ligooshina or Katoosha, and I'm still trying to figure out how the nicknames Serioque and Katuuh are supposed to be written in Russian characters.)

Though the book begins and ends sadly, in between there's a lot of happiness and love, making this into a beautiful heartfelt love letter to a wonderful person, skating partner, friend, lover, husband, and father.The love between Katya and Seryozha is so pure and genuine, nothing like the type of superficial and problem-plagued celebrity relationships we're used to hearing about.It even made me a little jealous of their storybook love story!All throughout, Katya is very honest and open, about their relationship, the world of young skaters in the Soviet Union, what goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics, the hectic life on the road of skaters, and how difficult it was to constantly have to leave their daughter Darya behind while they skated.While I'm sure there are some things she chose not to write about, overall a very detailed and honest life and love story emerges.She was so lucky to have this wonderful man, who was so much more than just an athletic partner, for (what was then) half of her life.

Because the love story is so beautiful and like a dream come true, the reader can really feel her deep grief and sorrow expressed at the beginning and end of the book.It's a terrible thing to lose the love of your life, the father of your child, the only person you've ever skated with for the past 13 years, when you're only 24 years old.This beautiful love story isn't diminished for me by knowing that Katya has since moved on with her life and found love again.She had a child with Ilya Kulik six years after Sergey died, and married him a year later; it's not like she jumped into his bed soon after this book was published!(And since Kulik is six years younger, he would have been a bit too young for her then anyway.)When you're widowed at such a young age, you should hardly be expected to be in mourning forever, and it may help the more current reader to not feel quite so sad at the end, knowing that this intense pain and sorrow isn't such an overpowering force in Katya's life anymore.And new husband or not, there's no denying that her first husband, her first love, was indeed the greatest love of her life.

Captured my heart
What a wonderful story this was.I love to watch skating and have not missed watching an Olympics since I was a kid.I am familiar with a lot of the skaters mentioned in this book.I thought this story was so touching and full of emotion.Katia considers her life with Sergei almost too perfect.They were so in love and their life together was indeed a fairy tale.I commend Katia for being able to pick herself and go on with her life no matter how difficult after Sergei's unexpected death in 1995.I thought the comparison between Russian and American customs was very interesting.This was an enjoyable and heartwarming read. ... Read more

Product Description
Ice Princess

Sarah Hughes was born to skate, and she proved to the world with her dramatic gold medal victory at the 2002 Winter Olympics. But the road to Olympic glory was not always easy for this Long Island teen.

Going for the Gold: Sarah Hughes is the amazing true story of a brilliant skater's Olympic quest.

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice Book!
It is an extremely nice book for Sarah fans. Also if you have never heard of Sarah Hughes, this is the book! It tells everything about Sarah from the first time she put on skates to her Olympic experience! A must have for Sarah fans! ... Read more

Product Description
Highlights the life of a Chinese American figure skater, her performances in various competitions including the 1984 Winter Olympics, and her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. ... Read more

Product Description


Any dream, no matter how difficult, can be pursued.

His is an unsung or perhaps a "quietly" sung life of enduring moments and of sincere commitment, as he moved in the direction of his dream. His is a symbol for the African-American community, or any community, but for Chicagoans in particular, and for all young people everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Awesome book~!
This book is really cool! I mean I really just picked out this book for my book report 'cause it was the only thing that seemed interesting. Though I did think it was going to be boring it wasn't! You can actually kind of feel what Michelle is feeling and the way the sentences were worded made it waay more interesting than a regular old biography! ;] Read this book, I recommend it if your interested in knowing more about Michelle Kwan~!

Great Read
This was the first biography I've read about Michelle Kwan. Though I'm not a figure skater, her confidence and determination have inspired me to succeed in gymnastics. It was a nice biography, with lots of pictures and nice information. I only have several complaints. First, it was a little too short in my opinion, since you mostly learn about the outlines of her life, not full details. For details I would suggest reading "Heart of A Champion", Michelle's autobiography. Second, it would have been nice if the book was longer, like I said it needs more details. Not realy for older readers, but great for anyone who wants to learn about Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan: Quest for Gold
I ordered this book for my daughter in 5th grade.She is a fan of Ms. Kwan's and needed to write a biography for school.Although it is a nice book, it really isn't what I thought.It is only 60 pages and mostly pictures, very little real content.If you just want a fan book this will work, but it really isn't a biography for grades 4 to 6 as represented.

quest for gold
This book is wonderful! It makes you connect with the ice just reading the words! I love this book! ... Read more