Marvelous Mabel

Written by Crystal Hubbard · Illustrated by Alleanna Harris

A determined girl turned away from ice rinks becomes a figure-skating trailblazer.

40 pages· 1,987 words· Est. 16 min read-aloud· 770L· AR 4.3 · 0.5 AR pts

$20.95Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In the 1930s many rinks wouldn't let Black skaters on the ice, so young Mabel Fairbanks practiced sharp turns and spins on a homemade rink in her bedroom. Needing more room, she returned to a rink that had denied her and refused to take no for an answer. She went on to become the first Black athlete inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

From the publisher

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.

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