Marvelous Mabel: Figure Skating Superstar

Author: Crystal Hubbard

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

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.

Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Published: 10/18/2022
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.94lbs
Size: 10.33h x 8.32w x 0.39d
ISBN: 9781620149560
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2022
Booklist 09/01/2022 pg. 63
Publishers Weekly 10/03/2022
School Library Journal 09/30/2022 pg. 1