Dropping in with Andy Mac: The Life of a Pro Skateboarder

by Andy MacDonald, Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, Lauren Monchik (Illustrator)

As a baby he flipped himself upside down in his jolly jumper.As a kid he rode his Big Wheel into traffic.When he discovered skateboarding,his life was changed forever.So how did Andy Macdonald go from death-defying stunts in his jolly jumper to world champion skateboarder? In his own words, Andy shares all the ups and downs and the spills and thrills, from driving to California in a broken-down car and dressing up as Shamu at Sea World to setting world records and giving a speech at the White House. He's traveled the world over with his skateboard under his arm. Andy's made the road to sweet, sweet success look easy. But this behind-the-scenes look takes you onto the platform of the vert ramp -- to the competitions, the long hours of practice, and more. It reveals a bumpy road to the top that, as Andy will tell you, could be reached only with the guts that skateboarding gave him.

Genres: Sports

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1903

Reviews

[Tabatha Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Did Like:
+The method of telling short memories, while unexpected, does keep the story moving quickly.
+The entire chapter about building ramps is packed with lessons about not giving up, excellent nostalgia, and some great stories!
+The photos were perfect! I would’ve loved to see them matched with the story, but I appreciated them either way. It was a nice way to see the beauty of the tricks he was describing!

Who Should Read This One:
-Skateboarders, skateboarding fans, or 90s skateboarding fans will get the most out of this one!
-Also worth mentioning that this would be a GREAT one to have in a middle school classroom because it talks a lot about doing your best and being yourself.

My Rating: 4 Stars
Really, it was exactly what I wanted for this book!

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2025/07/...

[Monica Caldicott]

Professional skateboarder Any MacDonald invites you into his life and his mind. With statements like "or me, full speed was the only way to go," and "from the earliest age, I've had a fascination with anything that can result in bodily harm," you know it'll be a fun ride.

 Read p. 9: A psychologist doing a report … the whole thing just broke in half."

[Edgar Barcenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

SK8 4 LIFE...This is a pro skater named Andy Mac. He is really good at vert skateboarding. What this book is about a pro skateboarder growing his way to pro. Also is a documentary about Andy Mac. In the first 2-3 pages Tony Hawk writes a letter to Andy Mac About how he is grateful knowing him and becoming his way to pro. Here are some parts in the story i'm going to tell you. In 1980 one time he was skate boarding with his friends and a group of jocks passed by and started calling them names like Stupid skateboarders, get a life or get a hair cut. Still today there are a few skateboarders and jocks that hate each other. Another chapter talks about how it feels good to skateboard and how to never give up on something you do...You may fall but get back and try again its that simple. He also talks about how he skateboarded with his brother by using a kicker. I recommend this book people who want to skate or skateboarders. This book is so cool you will one day get on a skateboard and ride it.

[Eddy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Mac is a skateboarder and a very famous one. When he was a kid he used to jump around in his bed, when he grew up he used to ride his bike down the street and when he found skateboarding, his life was changed forever. This book is more of a documentary like someone telling every detail of their lives.

I can relate to this because in October of 2008, i started getting into skateboarding and it wasn't a month later until i bought a skateboard and it was great. I continued to skate and like Andy it changed my life too because i knew that when i get home i could go skateboard if i wanted to and it was great feeling. Of course i didn't continue to skate and become succesful even though i could if i tried.

If i were to rate this book i would give it a 5 because it was really touching and of course i would like oit because i skate and so that is why i gave it a 5. I would recommend this book to anyone who lies skating or wants to skate to get a heads up on how to do tricks and manuals.

[Darrich M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Dropping In With Andy Mac by Andy Mac with Theresa Foy Digeronimo was a very good book to me. The book is mainly about Andys childhood; All the skateboarding adventures like going cross country just to visit one skatepark, getting in trouble for stealing scrap wood,ect with all his friends. Then eventually how he turns pro. I do with the author talked more about what he did when he wasnt skating, for example,like if he played video games or had any other hobbies or possibly if he did any other sports. I rated the book five stars for a very specific reason. I started the book and quickly found out Andy and I were very alike in many ways. Almost every sentence I read i could connect with. I felt as if I was reading a book about myself.So thats why I rated it with five stars. Other readers Might disagree with my rating.

[Jonah Tarmu · Rating 4 out of 5]

i gave this book 4/5 because it was interesting but it wasn't like interesting. it was sort of a documentary, which to mean was incredibly boring. i don't like documentaries meaning a 4.

it was about a boy growing up who eventually realizes he wants to skateboard for a living. he hit lots of bumps but eventually he made it! now he is one of the most famous skaters in the world.

he had always wanted to do crazy stuff. like he just couldn't help him self. always wanted to be in the middle of it! thats how he got into skating. but a lot of things stopped him. money, the city wouldn't let him skate in places, no parks to skate, no one else skated. it just wasn't a world for skating.

[Mike Grosso]

I read this along with a student I was tutoring this summer. The student was into skating a lot more than he was into school (or tutoring, for that matter), but this book worked well and we had a good time reading through it.

Andy Mac manages to put together a decent narrative about his rise to fame, and what he went through to make it happen and prove to everyone that it was possible. There's also a lot in here about what skateboarding really means to those that love it versus those that see it as a dangerous sport embraced by thugs.

It's worth a read if you, or someone you know, is into skateboarding.

[Henry Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

big air, tough tricks, and fun. The book Dropping in With Andy Mac illustrates a boy from childhood to adulthood doing death defying stunts and loving them. The book goes on about Andy wanting to become a pro skateboarder and eventually achieving this goal. Theresa Foy DiGeronimo (the author) did a very good job illistrating this book so you could actually visualize what was going on. i loved this book personally. Not only because i am a skater but because the book is just so interesting and exciting.