New Figure Skating Book for Young Adults: Sugar and Ice

Today’s post is an interview with author Kate Messner, who wrote The Brilliant Fall of  Gianna Z., winner of the 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers, as well as the Marty McGuire chapter book series, forthcoming from Scholastic.  Kate’s also a National Board Certified middle school English teacher.  She lives on Lake Champlain with her husband and two kids and enjoys hiking, skating, skiing, kayaking, running, and curling up by the fireplace with hot chocolate and a good book.  Learn more at her website: www.katemessner.com or connect with her on Facebook.

Kate’s latest book, Sugar and Ice, comes out tomorrow, December 7. Amazon.com just named Sugar and Ice one of the Best Books of the Month for December 2010. It’s a Junior Library Guild Selection and is featured on the Winter 2010-2011 Kids IndieNext List. The early reviews of the book have been great. Here’s one from Booklist in September:

One moment Claire Boucher is tapping the sap from her family’s maple trees; the next she is plucked from obscurity by a coach who sees her skate in the Maple Show and offers a scholarship in Lake Placid…. Even those who don’t know their double toe loops from their single salchows will enjoy …reading about what it takes to make it on the ice.”

(from Booklist, September 2010)

Summary of Sugar and Ice:

For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and in the annual Maple Show right before the big pancake breakfast on her family’s maple farm. But all that changes when Claire is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity-a scholarship to train with the elite skaters in Lake Placid. Tossed into a world of mean girls on ice, where competition is everything, Claire soon realizes that her sweet dream-come-true has sharper edges than she could have imagined. Can she find the strength to stand up to the people who want her to fail and the courage to decide which dream she wants to follow?

Interview with Kate Messner:

Ice Mom: Do you have experience with figure skating?

Kate Messner: My daughter figure skates, though not competitively, and this book grew out of one of her skating experiences.  We had signed her up for a Summer Basic Skills Camp at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid a few years ago, and I’d originally planned to work on revisions for a different book while she was skating. However, I realized when I got there that a parent education program went along with the skating camp, and I found myself in the Olympic Center’s Hall of Fame room, listening to a parade of experts talk about everything from blades to boots, to competitions and coaches.  Sports psychologist Dr. Mara Smith, in particular, caught my attention with her stories about working with competitive skaters to make sure the sport remains a healthy one.  That’s when I stopped thinking about the other book and started taking notes for Sugar and Ice.

I.M.: What inspired you to choose figure skating for your book and how did you conduct your research?

K.M.: I’ve never been a competitive skater, and I tend to keep both feet on the ice (though I was mighty proud when I mastered backward crossovers a couple years ago), so this book required a lot of research.  I read many books – both technical manuals and skater biographies. I also spent hours at both our local rink and at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, talked with competitive skaters and their families and coaches, and sat in on training sessions to find out what kinds of things a high-level coach says to encourage skaters and push them to work harder.

I.M.: What kinds of struggles does Claire (the main character) have that are universal to all teens? What struggles does she encounter that are unique to figure skaters?

K.M.: That’s a great question because I think young skaters face all the usual pressures of adolescence, along with some added challenges. Like many middle school kids, Claire deals with changing friendships, schoolwork, and a first crush. But competitive skating adds some additional challenges – a time crunch when it comes to homework, long hours in the car on the way to and from the rink, personal pressure to achieve, friends who would like her to spend more time with them, and the competition – both positive and negative – that can emerge at the rink.

I.M.: What did you discover about figure skating that shocked you in a good way? In a bad way?

K.M.: I can’t say that I was shocked by much, since this is a world I’d already spent a fair amount of time in with my daughter, but I was impressed all over again with the dedication that skaters show and the skill with which so many of them balance all the elements of their lives.  In addition to watching their determination on the ice, I stepped over a lot of skaters doing math homework in the rink hallways while the Zamboni was out on the ice.

I.M.: Do you think that tales of figure skating stage moms and horrible ice trolls (mean figure skaters) are common or rare? What makes you say that?

K.M.: While stories of overzealous ice moms and mean skaters can be dramatic, most of the skating families I’ve spent time with are in it for the fun and the amazing life lessons this sport carries with it.  That said, an individual competitive sport like figure skating does carry some pressure, and I think that, combined with the intensity of the training, can be a hotbed for emotion, too.  It was really a great world in which to set a story!

I.M.: What advice would you give parents of highly competitive figure skaters?

K.M.: I think Claire’s parents in the book do a great job of encouraging their skater while also keeping things in perspective.  They remember that she’s a middle school kid – growing and learning – and that figure skating is just a part of that picture.  I think that’s a good model for all of us who parent skaters.

I.M.: What advice would you give figure skaters who are grappling with Claire’s issues right now?

K.M.: Choose your own dreams!  That’s the message I write to kids when I sign copies of Sugar and Ice, and I think it’s good for everyone – not just skaters – to remember that while friends and competitors, teachers, coaches, and parents can offer advice and guidance, ultimately it’s up to all of us to chart our own paths in this world, whether that involves skating or another passion.

• Book Launch Party
• Order Signed Copies
• Buy the Book

Want a personalized, signed copy of Sugar and Ice? The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, N.Y., is hosting a Sugar and Ice launch party from 3-5 pm on Saturday, December 11th, so please consider this your invitation if you live in the area!

Want a personalized, signed copy of Sugar and Ice? If you can’t make it to The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, N.Y., for the launch party, but would still like a signed, personalized copy, just give the bookstore a call at (518) 523-2950 by December 10th. They’ll take your order, have Kate sign your book after the event, and ship it out to you in plenty of time for the holidays.

Find Sugar and Ice at:

• Your local independent bookstore
• Barnes and Noble
• Borders
• Amazon

I invite you to ask author Kate Messner questions! Kate will be monitoring the comments today and will respond to questions that you ask.

• Have you voted in and viewed the results for the holiday gift polls?

• Can you take a minute to fill out the Ballet Survey? This poll will end at 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, December 10.

• Annette Thomas, author of Fundamentals of Alignment and Classical Movement for Figure Skaters and Lessons in Classical Ballet for the Figure Skater, will review the Ballet Survey results and write a guest post about the data on Wednesday, December 15. You can visit Annette’s website, Ballet for Figure Skaters.