Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Casey and Derek on the Ice, by Marty Sederman

0 comments Posted by Stratford Public Library at 4:07 PM

Casey and Derek on the Ice, by Marty Sederman, 28 pages.
@ SPL: JP Seder
Casey and Derek’s hockey team, the Rockets, have exactly one minute left to tie a hard-fought hockey game with the opposing team, the Titans! Can they do it? It doesn’t look promising. The Rockets are tired and are just about completely out of steam. As the suspense in the hockey arena builds and builds, the Titans are sure that they have defeated the “underdogs” and that the game is theirs.
When Casey wins the face-off, it’s up to Derek to score the tying goal. The fans are on their feet … Derek speeds down the ice, cutting through the Titan defense … but just as he’s about to shoot the puck, he is tripped and the final buzzer sounds. Now the Titan fans are on their feet, cheering the win.
However, this rewritten version of Casey at the Bat isn’t finished yet. There’s a twist – with a happy ending for the Rockets.
Young hockey fans will very much enjoy this rhyming picture book which is suspenseful from beginning to end, as well as Zachary Pullen’s illustrations.
Author Marty Sederman, her husband and her sons all enjoy playing hockey.
** Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years.
Click here to find Casey and Derek on the Ice in our online catalogue.

 

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Inside Hockey! The Legends, Facts, and Feats that Made the Game, by Keltie Thomas

0 comments Posted by Stratford Public Library at 3:57 PM

Inside Hockey! The Legends, Facts, and Feats that Made the Game, by Keltie Thomas, 64 pages.
@ SPL: J 796.962 Tho
As the NHL playoffs approach, kids can delve into the wild world of professional hockey with this book, which is packed full of hockey facts, inventions, personalities, anecdotes, stories, legends, adventures, photos and humour – of interest both to those who know a great deal about NHL hockey and to those who do not. Some of the practical jokes and hijinks that are a part of NHL history and legend are also included, and girls will appreciate that women’s hockey has also been addressed in Keltie Thomas’ latest sports book. Readers can even discover what types of good luck charms have been used through the years by various hockey players.
Readers will find the “inside scoop” on the dazzling careers of some of hockey’s greatest heroes, such as Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Sidney Crosby, Mark Messier, Phil Esposito and the “Board Street Bullies”. Perhaps best of all is the “Strange but True” section of bizarre stories: after reading it, the reader will agree that just about anything can happen in the world of hockey!
Keltie Thomas is a Toronto-based writer for children who has previous books about hockey, snowboarding, basketball, soccer, and baseball to her credit.
** Recommended for ages 8 to 13 years.
Click here to find Inside Hockey! The Legends, Facts, and Feats that Made the Game in our online catalogue.

 

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Black Ice: The Lost History of the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925

0 comments Posted by Anonymous at 8:00 AM


by George and Darril Fosty

In Ontario we are well aware of the trail of the Underground Railroad that allowed black slaves to escape into freedom to as far north as Owen Sound. But long before that route was gaining momentum, there was already a large population of Blacks living in Nova Scotia, the population of which was added to when Black Loyalist refugees from the War of 1812 settled there. Just a decade later, these new settlers were playing this new game, a combination of shinny and Mi’kmaq hockey, and a few decades after that the first official Coloured Hockey League was formed. While it centres on the history of this leagues’ teams, players and games, Black Ice is far more than a sports book – it tells the historic tale of the Black experience in the Maritimes, recounting their challenges, their contribution to the efforts in WWI, their victories and the accomplishments of their leaders such as James Kinney. Kinney was the first Black man to graduate from the Maritime Business College and he later became a force in forming the Coloured Hockey League. He was also a student of Booker T. Washington, and after the league folded, Kinney used this education to influence other Black leaders in the establishment of a Black orphanage, the Nova Scotia School for Coloured Children. The author includes many uncomfortable examples of the type of racism that defined this history as well, so as Black History Month draws to a close, read Black Ice and try to determine how far our attitudes have come – and how far we still have to go. Click here to find it in the SPL catalogue.

 

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The Winter Olympics: An Insider’s Guide to the Legends, The Lore and the Games

0 comments Posted by Anonymous at 8:52 AM


by Ron C. Judd


We are officially less than a year away from the twenty-first Winter Olympiad, the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Canada’s “own the podium” campaign has been swinging into high gear as of late, with athletes winning gold medals in various world championships as they hope to peak just in time for next February. With the Olympic torch scheduled to pass through Stratford next December, the Olympic spirit is sure to be high in this region, so you can prepare for the frenzy by boning up on Winter Olympic trivia from this new book. It covers the history of the games, of course, and if you’re actually going to the Vancouver Games there is plenty of information about the venues, tickets, transportation and other handy travel tips. But if you will be watching the games from the comfort of your living room you can skip all that and get right into the in-depth chapters on the sports themselves. Divided into two sections on ice sports and snow sports, each chapter gives a history of the sport in the Olympics, exciting narratives of memorable races or competitions, a ‘spectator’s guide’ to the rules and equipment of the sport, the records broken, a schedule of the sport events for the Vancouver Games and (YAY!) a thoroughly Canadian perspective highlighting our athletes’ accomplishments (as well as other ‘legends’ of each sport). There is even mention of the newest event at the Winter Games, the ‘ski cross’ – a freestyle skiing event that is described as “motocross on skis”, which should be interesting viewing! The Winter Olympics: An Insider’s Guide to the Legends, The Lore and the Games is a great book for any sporting enthusiast and is especially recommended for proud Canucks who will be cheering on our athletes.

 

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Wendel and the Great One, by Mike Leonetti

0 comments Posted by Stratford Public Library at 3:19 PM

David has just been chosen as captain of his hockey team! But wait – what exactly will this mean? What responsibilities will he have as team captain?
David does some research, reading about such past NHL captains as Wendel Clark (the Toronto Maple Leafs) and Wayne Gretzky (the Los Angeles Kings). With the help of his dad, he also checks out other notable Canadians who have been leaders in some way: Terry Fox, Roberta Bondar, Rick Hansen, various Canadian prime ministers, and others. He discovers much about leadership – that it involves setting a good example in hard work and perseverance, promoting good morale among team members, and encouraging and supporting the other players. Soon there is an occasion when David is able to apply his knowledge, by helping a team member who faces a language barrier.
Canadian author Mike Leonetti, who has written a number of hockey stories for children, has created an inspiring story in Wendel and the Great One – one which is sure to be popular during this season of hockey. Illustrated by Greg Banning, it is also available in French (Wendel Clark et le Grand Gretzky) at the Stratford Public Library.
** Recommended for ages 6 to 10 years. @ SPL: JP Leone
Find this item in the library catalogue.
In the Stratford Gazette on January 9, 2009

 

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Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You, by Lisa Leslie

0 comments Posted by Anonymous at 9:48 AM

At 6’5”, the statuesque Lisa Leslie could easily be mistaken for a top model, and she is not an unfamiliar face between the covers of Vogue. But her strongest talent lies on a basketball court – she is the centre for the Los Angeles Sparks, and has led that team to two straight WNBA championships, is tied with Sheryl Swoops for the most MVP awards of the WNBA, and has earned thee Olympic Gold medals as part of the last three US Olympic Women’s basketball teams.. But if that were not enough to earn admiration, Lisa Leslie has had to overcome quite a few challenges to get where she is: The “normal” teasing that comes from being six-feet-tall in the sixth grade, a father she never knew who lead a double-life, and a sister so jealous that she tried to steal Lisa’s identity and ruin her. Although her mother drove a truck for a living and was often absent, Lisa credits her strength of character as a source for her own inner strength when such battles had to be faced – on and off the court. After being told over and over that pretty girls – even tall ones – could not play well enough, Lisa went on to score 101 points in the first half of a high school basketball game, and she never looked back. She has earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, started a family and will be helping her team-mates defend their Olympic title in Beijing starting this Saturday. Lisa Leslie’s memoir is great reading for sports fans and inspiration for anyone facing obstacles in their own paths to greatness.
Click here to find it in the SPL catalogue.

 

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Why a Curveball Curves: The Incredible Science of Sports from the editors of Popular Mechanics

0 comments Posted by Anonymous at 2:38 PM

Sports fans are in heaven – the NBA and NHL are in playoffs, the World Cup of hockey is ongoing in Halifax, the boys of summer are hitting the field (go Jays!), the US Open is coming up for golf, the French Open starts soon in tennis, not to mention this summer’s Olympics in Beijing. But while watching or playing, have you ever wondered about the aerodynamics of a soccer ball bent by Beckham? Or what is the physiology behind a gold-medal dive? What makes one goalie quicker on the stick than another, or why Gretzky is the Greatest? And why exactly does a curve ball curve – or is it just an optical illusion? (No it isn’t, and the answer is closely linked to golf, volleyball, soccer and tennis.)
The editors from Popular Mechanics Magazine have compiled expert analysis from over 20 sports specialists on 15 sports, from football and soccer to running and bowling. With one chapter per sport, the authorities explain the science that supports the best athletes and their skills (yes, they include Tiger’s swing), ponder the question of doping in sports, and even look at some of today’s high-tech equipment, like the Speedo Fastskin swimsuit we will likely see on swimmers during the Beijing Olympics. This book is for any sports fan from the couch-surfers to professional athletes looking to improve their skills.
Find this book in the Library catalogue

 

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