2 comments about Hayley Wickenheiser: Born to Play.

1. Rebeccasreads highly recommends HAYLEY WICKENHEISER BORN TO PLAY for whenever you hear someone say "girls can't play ice hockey"!
   
   From her first skates in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan to banging around with her brother & his friends on the ice rink in their back yard. From being the only girl on the Tom Thumb Team to winning the gold medal as a member of the all-girls Blackfoot Cougar Bantams to again being the only girl on the AA Northwest Bruins boys' team. To being picked for Team Canada for the 1998 Winter Olympics, & onwards.
   
   So, suit up & get out on the ice with Canadian Hayley Wickenheiser, & see what determination, skill & grace can do flying in the face of a longtime male-dominated sport.



2. I bought this book for my eleven year old granddaughter after watching an interview of Haley on TV. My granddaughter loved it and was inspired to keep playing hockey. Young kids should have more books like this which challanges them to do their best.

No comments about Hockey Heroes: Jaromir Jagr.

No comments about As the Puck Turns: A Personal Journey Through the World of Hockey.

No comments about Cammi Granato: Hockey Pioneer (Sports Achievers Biographies).

No comments about Jean Beliveau: My Life in Hockey.

2 comments about Doug: The Doug Harvey Story.

1. A fine biography of one of the greatest defensemen the game has ever seen. Harvey was not only a fabulous hockey player; he also excelled at baseball and football. This book chronicles his achievments in all three sports, plus his time in the Navy. It's an excellent historical reference, with lots of space devoted to the Richard Riot in 1955 and the ill-fated attempt at forming a Player's Association in 1957, and Harvey's involvement in both. Harvey was also known for his actions off the ice; this book has dozens of anecdotes regarding his antics, both funny and sad.

   My only complaint is that not enough space was devoted to Harvey's time as a perennial Norris Trophy winner. The author seemed content to focus more on Harvey's run ins with management than the ins and outs of what made him so great as a defenseman. I would have liked some more focus on the ice, although that kind of analysis may not be suited for more casual readers. My other complaint is that the author went a bit easy on Harvey's notorious drinking and partying. He didn't make excuses per se, but at times appeared to be rationalizing Harvey's often deliquent behavior and writing it off as the result of his biploar disorder.

   Those minor complaints aside, this is a good, easy read, and definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of Harvey and the Habs, or the history of hockey in general.




2. This is an excellent account of one of hockey's most enigmatic figures, and as an added bonus, a rare look behind the scenes of the great power teams and personalities of the Montreal Canadiens from the '50's and '60's. If that isn't enough, the great careers of the likes of Howe, Lindsay, Glen Hall, Sawchuk, Hull, Storey, Campbell, Blake, Irvin, Selke are discussed. If you love old-time hockey, you will love this book.

No comments about Hockey's Greatest Stars: Legends and Young Lions.

5 comments about Growing Up Hockey: The Life and Times of Everyone Who Ever Loved the Game.

1. Brian Kennedy's Growing Up Hockey will take you back to the playground, reminding you of the politics of childhood. For Brian, this meant having the right hockey stick and having the rare hockey cards. But do not be fooled. This book is not just for hockey fans. Anyone can relate. As kids, we all wanted to be able to brag to our friends about our possessions or our accomplishments. And those things we loved as children we often take with us as adults. This is what this book is all about.
   
   And the writing style? Brian writes in a way that makes it hard to put the book down. He does not waste words, but he gives all the detail needed. I read the book in three days, even after having to steal it back from my wife.



2. "Growing Up Hockey" is about a little boy, this one a real-life hockey player named Brian Kennedy. If you enjoyed "A Christmas Story" and love hockey, you'll be glad to know that reading Kennedy's account of his love affair with hockey is like listening to Ralphie Parker talk about his obsession for a Red Ryder BB gun. The major difference is that Kennedy schemes for not a rifle to fend off Black Bart but rather a hockey stick with a banana curve and then a Ken Dryden hockey card so that he can boast to his playground pals. You read this story, and you'll boast to your hockey friends that you've read the funniest hockey book you've read in years.



3. Brian Kennedy's story of the average hockey lover/player growing up in Canada is one I think everyone who loves hockey will enjoy. Growing Up Hockey chronicles Mr. Kennedy's life as he grew up in Canada and later went to the US and England for school or work. Although I grew up in the US, where hockey was not the main sport, I enjoyed reading about what life is like for those who grow up with hockey as an integral part of their lives.
   
   It's great that the US has so many options, but I found myself wishing I knew what it was like to be able to discuss hockey with almost anyone around. Since I've been a fan of hockey, I've always had a couple friends who enjoy the game about as much as I do, but it would be something else to experience an environment where those who did not follow hockey were the exception.
   
   Mr. Kennedy's detailed account of his life growing up with hockey as a central influence is very interesting. He tells stories about playing hockey, watching hockey, hockey cards, living without being able to see much hockey, the differences between the NHL and ENL (in England), and life in Canada. I couldn't recommend this book more for anyone in your life who loves hockey!



4. My husband bought this book and I was curious about it when I read the title. I started reading and just couldn't stop. This is a book full of memories and moments that stayed in the mind of the narrator, and they take us (as readers) back to our own memories. These stories made me think about friends in the playground, about that one fleeting moment of athletic success and how it feels to be so close to my dreams of glory. Reading story after story reminded me about that past that we very often take for granted and easily forget, but that will always be a series of defining moments that make us who we are. It's also gratifying to read where the narrator ended up, since he reflects also on his own present life. I am not a hockey fan, but I enjoy good stories, especially when they're written in a way that grabs you.



5. Life is ultimately about love. We all recognize love, although we do not love in the same way. None understands the logic of our individual passions, but we count ourselves fortunate to be near its mystery. LA Car Editor-at-Large and sports journalist Brian Kennedy writes about his lifelong love and passion in Growing Up Hockey (Folklore Publishing, 2007). The book draws you in at the beginning, with Brian's preschool adventure onto ice in Montreal, and ends with his touching the Duck's Stanley Cup in Los Angeles. The section titles of his book say it well: Learning the Game, Living the Game, Loving the Game. This is a story of a boy who grows up in Canada 's suburbs living for his pee wee league and collecting NHL cards. This is a story of a man who still is the consummate fan watching games over and over so that the video wears thin. He played until it got too rough, he refereed, he bought tickets from scalpers. He finally finds opportunity to worm himself nearer the game by becoming a sports writer. Here is another instance where he writes so he can be closer to his favorite sport. You see, Brian has another passion and love. Brian also writes about cars and car racing. Hockey and cars are about the adrenaline of gliding speed. But why analyze. Growing Up Hockey should be approached in much the same way as Brian's automotive articles: Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride.

1 comments about Mario Lemieux: Over Time.

1. This Book is a must Have for any Die-HARD or just a fan of ''Le Magnifique''or ''The Magnificent''. It mainly about his life from Pee-wee hockey to the comeback, Its covred. They have on most pages the games from mario's first back to the Final game of the 2000-20001 regular season.

5 comments about Open Net.

1. I laughed. I learned. I loved Open Net.
   
   Plimpton summarizes (page 254) his experience with the Bruins to Junior Achievers in Edmonton, "I described some of my brief forays into sports as a participatory journalist, and what it was like, and how I envied the athletes their skills and the fellowship, but how I had always left their camps with a faint twinge of relief that I was returning to my own world..."
   
   Plimpton is the vanguardist for creative-nonfiction/participatory journalism, and Open Net is the standard by which other hockey books should be measured. I envy not his weak ankles, for they're as instable as his writing is strong, but rather his wit and way of balancing humor and enlightenment.
   
   I didn't grow up in New England, but I suspect those that have will still enjoy the way Plimpton brings back to life the boldness and brashness, the grit and the glory, of the Big Bad Bruins.
   
   From Plimpton's interaction with the likes of "Grapes" and "Taz" and with goalies "Seaweed," and "Cheesy" to our hero's own moment in the crease, you'll want to stand up and cheer!



2. If you enjoy Ice Hockey, especially from a historical perspective, this is the book to read. Fans of Don Cherry will love this book.



3. George Plimpton once again dons a uniform and plays a game. This time he tackles hockey while training with the Boston Bruins.
   Plimpton does a wonderful job of painting a realistic view of life as a goalie. He uses the voices of other players to help the story along, rather than as just filler from big names. He also tells his tale without a lot of false excitement. You can tell he totally loves the experience, yet at times, you can see the effort does drain him (naturally).
   His comments about and conversations with the likes of 'Seaweed' Pettie, Garry Cheevers and Don Cheery really add a lot of depth to the book. In conversations I have had with some of these men, I clearly got the point that they enjoyed this as much as Plimpton did and as much as I did as a reader.
   This is a great read for the unfulfilled athlete in all of us.



4. THIS IS ONE OF PLIMPTON'S BEST. I REALLY ENJOYED HIS STORY PLAYING GOAL FOR THE BRUINS. HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES ARE EXCELLENT. HIS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE ON THE ICE WITH HIM. PLIMPTON DOESN'T WASTE TOO MUCH TIME DESCRIBING HIS SURROUNDINGS LIKE HE DOES IN OTHER BOOKS. HE GOES STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. SOME HIGHLIGHTS ARE DESCRIBING HOW HE PUTS HIS UNIFORM ON IN A DETAILED ORDER, OLD STORIES ABOUT EDDIE SHORE, AND HIS ACTUAL TIME ON THE ICE PLAYING GOAL DURING A COUPLE OF EXHIBITION GAMES MAKE THIS A GREAT READ.



5. As a big hockey fan, and a goaltender, this was just required reading. Yet, it turned out to be more. This well written, quick read was a gas to enjoy and quote. I will be glad to read others by George Plimpton, and I'm already on the hunt for PAPER LION.
   I guess thats my ringing endorcement. If I'm looking to read a book on football, the author must be wonderful. Quick, funny, well written, and vastly enjoyable, you wont regret buying this book, no matter what the price.