14 January 2010

Surf for your life

by Mick Fanning and Tim Baker

Random House. Australian, Biographical. Paperback rrp $34.95

Over the Christmas period I have heard a lot of comments from friends about their teenage sons and the lack of reading. I too had this problem until I found that if you want your child to read you need to give them something that they WANT to read. Not something you want them to read.

Like Surf for your life. “Hey did you know Mick Fanning was born where you were?” “I’m just going to go for a surf where Mick used to surf.” “Did you know Mick Fanning surfed at The Point?” My 17 year-old was actually conversing with me about a book!

But getting the review was easier said than done. I begged. I asked questions … “Did you like the book?” “Yeah.” “What’s it about?” “Mick Fanning!” “Anything interesting about his life?” “Yeah. He won his first surfing competition at Sandon Point (my son’s local surf spot) and won $21,000 and it was on the day his brother, who had died, would have turned 21! How incredible is that?”

Well that about sums it up. I can’t get a review from my son but at least I can get him to happily read a book. My son thoroughly enjoyed it and going to Kirra for Christmas to the relative’s place made it a little bit more special now that he knows he might bump into Mick Fanning!

Tim Baker’s High Surf was reviewed by The Reading Stack.

http://www.bytimbaker.com/

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