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Omar Grebes never slows down. When he's not shredding concrete at Ocean Beach Skate Park, he's kicking through surf at Imperial Beach or scarfing down fish tacos from the nearest roadside shop. Soon, his wiry six-foot frame and live-or-die lifestyle catch the attention of big-name sponsors. But one of them offers Omar more than he bargained for . . . a chance to join the mysterious 900 Revolution and claim a piece of history.
- GenresSports
119 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
About the author
Donald Lemke
148 books34 followersDonald Lemke works as a children's book editor. He has written dozens of all-age comics and children's books for Capstone, HarperCollins, Running Press, and more. Donald lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his beautiful wife, Amy, toddling toddler, Cleo, and a not-so-golden retriever named Paulie.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 3, 2020
Sorry but I am just not a fan of graphic novels. I find them very difficult to read as my mind just skips through to all the text and completely bypasses the graphics so then I have no idea what has just happened. I admire those who read these with ease. It's movies for me when I want my Marvel or DC fix
November 27, 2017
This is bizarre. I'm all for telling fantastical stories about mystical skateboards that imbue the skater will radical skills, but this book feels like it's trying to sell a lifestyle. Every time the characters encounter surfboards and skateboards, the author likes to talk about them like they're the most precious artifacts in the world. We get the specific name and year they were manufactured and it just feels disingenuous. There's an interesting little story about independence and loss in here that's sadly buried under this weird attempt to sell you the idea that a career in extreme sports is the best thing ever. This is pretty strange considering how many near-death experiences the protagonist has and it creates this weird juxtaposition that feels uncomfortable.
September 4, 2014
Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution is an exciting new series for middle grade readers. “Drop In” is Book One in a series of thirteen stories. If you've read my book reviews before, you know that I get excited when I come across a good find for middle grade readers, especially for boys, because I feel that there isn't enough quality reading material out there in today's market. Relevance is key, or the books just won't hold kids' interest. In the first book of this series, Tony Hawk and Donnie Lemke have found the perfect mix of good storytelling and graphic art to appeal to this age group. I think even kids who might not usually pick up a book would enjoy this!
This is the story of Omar Grebes, a young skateboarder living in Southern California. His dad went missing after a surfing accident a couple of years ago, so he's been living with his mom and leaning on his good buddy Tommy. Actually, Tommy, a couple of years older than Omar, is more like a big brother. Omar, still recovering from his father's disappearance and probable death, finds himself mixed up with a group called The Revolution, who are seeking out Fragments of the skateboard that Tony Hawk used when he became the first skateboarder to nail the 900 trick. It seems the only one that Omar can truly trust is himself . . . .
While Omar is a character tween and young teen boys can relate to, the story does travel into the realm of fantasy, but the author makes it work. By incorporating the idea of a quest to track down the Fragments, the author hopes to pique the interest of young male readers and get them excited about this book series. I think it's a good strategy. The graphic art throughout the book is edgy and fun. The book ends with some unanswered questions, which entices the reader to go ahead and check out the next book in the series.
This book was published July, 2011 through Capstone Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-4342-3451-3. I have seen this available online for a reasonable price. It is available in either hardcover or paperback.
This is the story of Omar Grebes, a young skateboarder living in Southern California. His dad went missing after a surfing accident a couple of years ago, so he's been living with his mom and leaning on his good buddy Tommy. Actually, Tommy, a couple of years older than Omar, is more like a big brother. Omar, still recovering from his father's disappearance and probable death, finds himself mixed up with a group called The Revolution, who are seeking out Fragments of the skateboard that Tony Hawk used when he became the first skateboarder to nail the 900 trick. It seems the only one that Omar can truly trust is himself . . . .
While Omar is a character tween and young teen boys can relate to, the story does travel into the realm of fantasy, but the author makes it work. By incorporating the idea of a quest to track down the Fragments, the author hopes to pique the interest of young male readers and get them excited about this book series. I think it's a good strategy. The graphic art throughout the book is edgy and fun. The book ends with some unanswered questions, which entices the reader to go ahead and check out the next book in the series.
This book was published July, 2011 through Capstone Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-4342-3451-3. I have seen this available online for a reasonable price. It is available in either hardcover or paperback.
February 3, 2012
Reason for Reading: I'm always willing to give a Stone Arch book a try.
I wasn't quite sure what I was in for with this book as I know nothing about skateboarding. The book is most certainly written for a targeted audience of skateboarders and the whole lingo is there, leaving me scratching my head at times but I'm sure those in the know would find the characters authentic. This did take me a while to get into the story but once I got used to both the skateboarding and Southern California slang "gnarly ollie, dude!" I settled into the book and actually enjoyed the story. We have realistic teens, two boys both living with a single parent mother, one whose father just took off one day when he was small. The other, our main character, Omar, whose father was presumed killed in a dangerous surfing accident a few years back. The boys find themselves the target of a secret organization who have chosen Omar to be the one to collect the pieces of a magic skateboard, once belonging to Tony Hawk, and put them back together again.
Surprisingly, I had a fun time reading this and am sure the targeted audience, pre- and young skateboarding teens will love the fast-paced adventure and classic fantasy quest. The first four volumes have been published and each one focuses on a new recruit to the organization called "Revolution". The book is all text except for a short graphic sequence at the beginning and a much longer graphic sequence as the plot nears its climax. Fun and recommended for reluctant readers.
I wasn't quite sure what I was in for with this book as I know nothing about skateboarding. The book is most certainly written for a targeted audience of skateboarders and the whole lingo is there, leaving me scratching my head at times but I'm sure those in the know would find the characters authentic. This did take me a while to get into the story but once I got used to both the skateboarding and Southern California slang "gnarly ollie, dude!" I settled into the book and actually enjoyed the story. We have realistic teens, two boys both living with a single parent mother, one whose father just took off one day when he was small. The other, our main character, Omar, whose father was presumed killed in a dangerous surfing accident a few years back. The boys find themselves the target of a secret organization who have chosen Omar to be the one to collect the pieces of a magic skateboard, once belonging to Tony Hawk, and put them back together again.
Surprisingly, I had a fun time reading this and am sure the targeted audience, pre- and young skateboarding teens will love the fast-paced adventure and classic fantasy quest. The first four volumes have been published and each one focuses on a new recruit to the organization called "Revolution". The book is all text except for a short graphic sequence at the beginning and a much longer graphic sequence as the plot nears its climax. Fun and recommended for reluctant readers.
January 12, 2012
After surviving a skateboard stunt that nearly kills him, Omar finds a secret skate shop, where he discovers a magical shard of the skateboard used by Tony Hawk to perform the first 900 trick. The shard brings Omar to the attention of a secret society, The Revolution, which wants to use Omar’s unique skills for obscure reasons. Joining the group may provide answers to the disappearance of Omar’s father two years earlier.
While the book is initially disjointed, the action drives the adventure along at a quick pace and the slender volume will be devoured, despite (or perhaps due to) a great deal of skateboarding and surfing jargon. The characters are mostly negative stereotypes and most of the adults are vicious. The teens are primarily unsupervised juvenile delinquents. The combination of text/graphic novel will appeal to reluctant readers and other middle school readers -- especially those who fancy stories featuring rebels.
While the book is initially disjointed, the action drives the adventure along at a quick pace and the slender volume will be devoured, despite (or perhaps due to) a great deal of skateboarding and surfing jargon. The characters are mostly negative stereotypes and most of the adults are vicious. The teens are primarily unsupervised juvenile delinquents. The combination of text/graphic novel will appeal to reluctant readers and other middle school readers -- especially those who fancy stories featuring rebels.
June 29, 2016
I had a lot of hopes for this book. The cover makes it look really exciting with a lot of action. I feel like the book would have worked better as maybe a chapter or a section of a larger work. I wouldn't have known what was going on if I hadn't read the back of the book, in a way where the book seemed unformed instead of mysterious. I may read the second book to see how that one works. Parts of the book were enjoyable, but a lot felt either random to me or like it was missing something vital.
For: fans of skateboarding and graphic novels/comics (there is a small section); fans of conspiracy and secret society fiction.
Possible red flags: language; mentions of character death; peril; betrayal; conspiracies.
For: fans of skateboarding and graphic novels/comics (there is a small section); fans of conspiracy and secret society fiction.
Possible red flags: language; mentions of character death; peril; betrayal; conspiracies.
October 19, 2016
The book Tony Hawk: Drop In: 1(Tony Hawks 900 Revolution) by Donald Lemke is about two guys named Omar and Tommy. Omar fell while doing a skateboard trick and was missing. Tommy didn't know what to do so he ran into a neighborhood. A girl told him to come into her house so he did. She told him he could borrow clothes and eat. Her dad wasn't home so they had to hurry. All of a sudden the front door opens and the girl tells him to go down. He runs out the window and out of the house. Unsuspectedly, Tommy finds Omar and takes him back. om Tommy's birthday, he gets a letter from "The Revolution". Tommy got invited to skateboard with Tony Hawk. I recomened thisbook to people who like action.
January 18, 2012
I really didn't like this one. It was trying too hard to be cool with the language and actions of the characters. And it starts with a really strange story about Tony Hawk, then picks up with the book characters, so I'm wondering where they are going with the story about Tony Hawk, a real skateboarder, since it seems so sci-fi! Anyway, I got the book free at a conference and it's signed by the author, but I don't think I'll be purchasing any more!
Read
October 12, 2012This fast-paced adventure series is full of a fantasy quest to find all the magic pieces of Tony Hawk's shattered skateboard. This is the first book in the series. As you read the series, new recruits will be added to help find all the pieces of the skateboard.
April 6, 2012
5-6 interest 3-4 reading level
February 17, 2016
WOW!This book was awesome it was about a boy named Omar who is a true skater and when he makes a video he then gets sponsored and gets a massive deal and accepts it.Being pro is his dream.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews