Crosby’s Golden Goal, by Mike Leonetti, 32 pages.
Few Canadian hockey fans will ever forget Sidney Crosby’s “golden goal” – the overtime goal that whipped into the net past Team USA goalie Ryan Miller, breaking a 2-2 draw in Canada’s favour during the gold medal final hockey game at the Vancouver Olympic Games on February 28, 2010. Team Canada players, fans and countless Canadians cheered and celebrated Canada’s winning of the men’s hockey gold medal that day. The euphoria lasted for days, even weeks.
Mike Leonetti’s newest picture book relives the excitement of that game as seen through the eyes of a young boy, Tyler, who is lucky enough to be in attendance.
A minor hockey player, Tyler has recently grown a little tired of the large amount of time that competitive hockey – with its games, travel time, practices, summer hockey training and off-ice workouts – requires. He’s decided to stop playing hockey – but is still an enthusiastic hockey fan, especially of Sidney Crosby.
As Tyler watches the game with his father, he sees Crosby’s obvious love, enthusiasm and dedication to the game of hockey. He witnesses the team spirit, the happiness and exuberance of the Team Canada players when the winning goal is scored, and he remembers similar happy times with his own fellow players. He decides to rejoin his team, and later scores his own winning goal in his team’s first tournament.
Wonderful illustrations and a brief biography of Sidney Crosby are included at the end of this exciting sports story of dedication and perseverance, which will appeal to young hockey players and fans of any sport.
Mike Leonetti is the author of a long list of books which celebrate Canada’s rich hockey history, such as The Magnificent Mario, Number Four Bobby Orr! and Gretzky’s Game.
** Recommended for ages 6 to 10 years.
Hockey Science: 25 Winning Experiments, by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone, 47 pages.
Did you know that science and math play an important part in the game of hockey? It’s true! Many methods and techniques adopted by the NHL in its never-ending quest to improve the game of hockey come straight from the world of science.
One example is “telescoping”. When a goalie moves away from the hockey net towards a player who is taking a shot, it’s a calculated move called “telescoping”, in which the goalie is trying to cut down on the number of angles which a player has to shoot at the net, making scoring more difficult.
Kinetic energy and geometry are behind the way players shoot pucks against the boards around the ice, influencing the speed and the angles at which pucks bounce back.
Readers will discover why hockey pucks are frozen before every game, why “torque” is studied in order to help players skate faster, and how scientific principles are used to improve checking, goalie reflexes and helmet safety.
Ever practical, Hockey Science also explains how smelly bacteria forms on sweaty hockey clothing in a hockey bag or locker – and how to prevent it.
A helpful glossary completes this concise book of intriguing information and related easy-to-follow experiments.
** Recommended for ages 7 to 11 years.
This review appears in The Stratford Gazette on February 14, 2013. Written by Sally Hengeveld, Librarian.
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