Skateboard Tough

As soon as Brett Thyson steps on "The Lizard", the mysterious skateboard he unearthed in his backyard, he can feel its power. It glides smoothly and effortlessly, but Brett can't shake off the feeling that there's something not quite right about it.

Brett Thyson can't believe the tricks he can do on his new skateboard. Is the skateboard magical--or hexed? "A Stephen King-style mystery for the younger set."--"School Library Journal."

Describes the origins and evolution, equipment and techniques of the sport known as "sidewalk surfing."

Describes the development of the sport of skateboarding and some of the skills, techniques, and personalities involved.

Finally, a book to help educators promote sure-fire reading pleasers to boy readers in grades 3–12! Scary, Gross, and Enlightening: Books for Boys Grades 3-12 is the helpful new reference handbook for educators looking for just the right books to captivate the imaginations of boys in a way that makes reading fun as well as effective. In chapters than span the full range of categories and genres, Scary, Gross, and Enlightening surveys the latest and greatest titles aimed at boys in the primary and secondary grades, including nonfiction, graphic novels, mystery and adventure, sports, sci-fi and fantasy, humor, history, books that were made into movies, read-aloud titles, and classic works that have stood the test of time. Each chapter suggests a number of appropriate and delightful titles on a specific theme and includes listings of corresponding websites, reproducible lessons, and activities. The book also provides lists of professional titles to support each chapter's theme, as well as research-based strategies for teaching with the suggested books.

Home run slugger Sylvester Coddmyer the Third has an amazing secret. For three seasons, he's been coached by men who look exactly like baseball legends: Babe Ruth, Eddie Cicotte, and Mickey Mantle. Are these men just impersonating famous ballplayers, as his friend Duane insists? Or are they from the "beyond," as Snooky Malone believes? The mystery deepens in this fourth title of the exciting Home Run Kid series when yet another character from baseball's past appears to coach Syl. But is Syl the only one getting pointers? And will Snooky ever get to the bottom of this mystery?

When Pierre Omidyar launched a clunky website from a spare bedroom over Labor Day weekend of 1995, he wanted to see if he could use the Internet to create a perfect market. He never guessed his old-computer-parts and Beanie Baby exchange would revolutionize the world of commerce. Now, Adam Cohen, the only journalist ever to get full access to the company, tells the remarkable story of eBay's rise. He describes how eBay built the most passionate community ever to form in cyberspace and forged a business that triumphed over larger, better-funded rivals. And he explores the ever-widening array of enlistees in the eBay revolution, from a stay-at-home mom who had to rent a warehouse for her thriving business selling bubble-wrap on eBay to the young MBA who started eBay Motors (which within months of its launch was on track to sell $1 billion in cars a year), to collectors nervously bidding thousands of dollars on antique clothing-irons. Adam Cohen's fascinating look inside eBay is essential reading for anyone trying to figure out what's next. If you want to truly understand the Internet economy, "The Perfect Store" is indispensable.

a The boys are all hesitant when one boy's mother is the only parent who volunteers to coach their Little League team, but there is quite a surprise in store for them.