Marvelous Mabel

Figure Skating Superstar
By Crystal Hubbard, Alleanna Harris
Hardcover: $20.95

Meet Mabel Fairbanks, the skating superstar who became the first Black athlete inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Description

After watching ice skaters glide and spin at a rink in Central Park, Mabel Fairbanks was determined to learn to skate. But in the 1930s, many places didn’t allow Black skaters on the ice, so Mabel practiced on a homemade rink in her bedroom! There she learned how to perform sharp turns and whizzing spins of her own creation.

It wasn’t long before Mabel needed more room to practice skating, and she returned to one of the rinks that denied her entrance. This time she refused to take no for an answer. She knew that if they just let her on the ice, she would be the most marvelous skater anyone had ever seen. And she was right, as her trailblazing talent continues to influence the sport today.

Written and illustrated with warmth and spirit, this is the true story of how Mabel Fairbanks’s determination and grit led her to become America’s first Black skating superstar.

About the Creators

Crystal Hubbard

Crystal Hubbard is a full-time writer and former sports journalist. Her Lee & Low titles The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby, Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl's Baseball Dreams, and Game, Set, Match: Champion Arthur Ashe have been recognized with several honors, including being named to Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year and the ALA's Amelia Bloomer Project. Hubbard lives in Missouri with her family. You can find her on Twitter at @XstalBooks.

Alleanna Harris

Alleanna Harris is a children's book illustrator and artist who finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday things. As a kid, she would doodle on notebooks in school and on programs in church. She graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in animation with honors. Harris lives in New Jersey. Find out more about her at alleannaharris.com.

p.p1 { margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; font: 12px "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(15, 17, 17)}span.s1 { color: rgb(0, 0, 0)}

Awards

  • Black Kidlit Awards 2023

    Black Kidlit Awards

  • Best Children's Books of the Year 2023

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

    Junior Library Guild

Reviews

  • "Perseverance lies at the center of this affecting biography."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Allows upper elementary school readers a chance to explore not only a moment in American history but an untold moment in sports history. . . Fans of the Winter Olympics, strong female characters, and underdog stories will flock to this title."

    - Booklist
  • "Depicting Mabel's frustrations, loneliness, and joy as well as her athletic prowess, Harris' warm, expressive digital illustrations pair well with Hubbard's straightforward yet inspiring text. An account of a sports pioneer that should be widely read and shared."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Beautifully crafted kinetic illustrations highlighting New York City's locales and its inhabitants are at their finest, and come to life when Fairbanks skates. Every twist and turn is captured and the movement is dynamic in this book; a pleasure to read and to share. Highly recommended."

    - School Library Journal

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620149560
  • Publication Date Oct 18, 2022
  • Trim Size 8 × 10 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Sports & Recreation / Ice Skating
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Women
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / Diversity & Multicultural
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Biography / Memoir, Courage, Diversity, Dreams & Aspirations, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, People In Motion, Sports, Sports History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 10
  • Grade Range Grades 3 - 4
  • Guided Reading P
  • ATOS Book Level 4.3
  • DRA 38
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 5
  • Reading Level Grades 3 - 4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 73
      Immigrant Connection Family Resource Night
      Collection of 73 books: $1,227.40

      442 in stock

    • 22
      Summer Reading Collection PreK-2
      Collection of 22 books: $285.90