Zach Thompson can't believe his family can finally afford to send him to the elite hockey camp of his dreams. But even before he hits the rink, Zach feels iced out by his older teammates. They mock the new kid's hand-me-down gear and hog the puck during practice. Can Zach show some hustle and be the leader his team needs to take the camp tournament by storm? With plenty of play-by-play action and extra back matter materials including bonus hockey facts, this Jake Maddox JV sports story is sure to be a hit with any young athlete.
Zach Thompson can't believe his family can finally afford to send him to the elite hockey camp of his dreams. But even before he hits the rink, Zach feels iced out by his older teammates. They mock the new kid's hand-me-down gear and hog the puck during practice. Can Zach show some hustle and be the leader his team needs to take the camp tournament by storm? With plenty of play-by-play action and extra back matter materials including bonus hockey facts, this Jake Maddox JV sports story is sure to be a hit with any young athlete.
Brian Worth Jr. is excited to try out for his middle school's basketball team. His hoop dreams are in jeopardy, though, after his dad forces him to volunteer at the local senior center. But Brian really needs to practice he's always relied on his height to dominate, but that won't cut it anymore. When Brian discovers that George, a man at the center, used to play basketball, this is his chance to learn some moves. Brian's working hard and even making a new friend, but will his improved skills be enough to impress the coach and make varsity?
Simon Wahlberg eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey. His parents want to see their son achieve his dreams, so they move to the town of Edgewater, known for its elite high school hockey team. Simon tries out for the squad, and even though he's only in eighth grade, he lands a spot on the roster. But playing hockey for Edgewater isn't easy. Every player on the ice is bigger, stronger, and faster than Simon. If Simon is going to keep up, he will have to push himself further than he ever has before. But soon his grades begin to slide, and Simon starts to question if hockey is the right choice for him. Can Simon find a way to do it all?
Dare to Make History is the story of two courageous and talented women who weren’t willing to accept anything less than being treated as equals. On their journey to a gold medal in women’s ice hockey, they became role models for generations before and after them. Twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando started playing ice hockey with their four older brothers and their friends on a frozen pond next to their home in North Dakota. No girls hockey teams, no problem―they just played on boys teams. They went on to win six World Championships and played in three Olympics, winning two silver medals and ultimately a gold medal in South Korea in 2018 for the USA Women’s National Team. They did not allow roadblocks and discrimination deter them from taking on their governing body—USA Hockey—threatening to boycott the 2017 World Championships and jeopardizing their ability to compete in the 2018 Olympics unless their gender equity issues were addressed. The success of Monique, Jocelyne, and their team thrust them into the center of the struggle for gender equity, for women in hockey and in sports in general, as well as in society at large. In Dare to Make History, the Lamoureux twins chronicle their journey to the pinnacle of their sport, their efforts along with almost 150 other hockey players to start a new professional women’s hockey league, their training to come back and make another national team after giving birth, their tireless efforts to advance the interests of disadvantaged communities in closing the digital divide, and their ongoing contributions as role models championing the dreams of future generations of girls in sports, education, and the workplace. This is not a hockey book. It is not a girls book. It is a book about the importance of the fight for equity, particularly gender equity. It is the inspirational story of how two young women from a small town in North Dakota have dreamed big—had the courage to take on huge battles—and in the end how they have dared to make history.
In the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, home of the original 1692 witch trials, the 1989 Danvers Falcons will do anything to make it to the state finals—even if it means tapping into some devilishly dark powers. Against a background of irresistible 1980s iconography, Quan Barry expertly weaves together the individual and collective progress of this enchanted team as they storm their way through an unforgettable season. Helmed by good-girl captain Abby Putnam (a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam) and her co-captain Jen Fiorenza (whose bleached blond “Claw” sees and knows all), the Falcons prove to be wily, original, and bold, flaunting society’s stale notions of femininity. Through the crucible of team sport and, more importantly, friendship, this comic tour de female force chronicles Barry’s glorious cast of characters as they charge past every obstacle on the path to finding their glorious true selves.
Emma, Jess, Megan, Becca, and Cassidy go to Camp Lovejoy in New Hampshire to serve as counselors and when some of the young campers are stricken with homesickness, the friends decide to start a summer camp book club.
Mike Gordon loves a good thrill. And he's not afraid to break the rules to get one. But when Mike goes too far, a friend steers him in the right direction: up. Rock climbing gives Mike all the excitement he needs. But when things get tough, will Mike fall back into his old habits?
From Sportsnet Central host and broadcaster Ken Reid comes an inspiring and entertaining new collection of hockey stories about local legends who define the game and its values. In many communities across Canada, hockey lives in the nearby arenas and leagues that forge both decades-long rivalries and unbreakable friendships. Fans show up to cheer not for distant NHL superstars, but for the homegrown heroes who define their town. These players don’t always make it to the big leagues, but they inevitably become legends. In this entertaining collection, Canadian broadcaster and Sportsnet Central host Ken Reid tells their uplifting stories, from Pictou, Nova Scotia, to Kimberley, British Columbia—and everywhere in between. There’s Robbie Forbes, who arrived in Newfoundland in the mid-eighties still dreaming of the pros and ended up giving the town a dream of its own when he led the Corner Brook Royals to a Canadian Senior Hockey title. He also happens to be Sidney Crosby’s uncle. In a legendary Ontario community, the name Paul Polillo is spoken in the same reverential breath as Wayne Gretzky in their shared hometown of Brantford. There’s also the tragic story of George Pelawa, who may have been the inspiration for Tom Cochrane & Red Rider’s famous song “Big League.” And Tyson Wuttunee, an Indigenous player in Saskatchewan who, through hockey, found the family and home he’d always longed for. Featuring heartwarming stories of grit, leadership, and lifelong bonds, Ken Reid’s Hometown Hockey Heroes celebrates how hockey, and the values the game teaches, can shape our communities for the better.
