Score!

April 1, 2011

Gr 4-8-The authors' mission, clearly stated in the introduction, is to tell "the story of the players and teams that have made goal scoring look easy." They begin by giving a fine historical overview of the sport. The rest of the chapters key in on the 10 most unforgettable goals, methods of shooting the puck, the highest scoring stars, the most remarkable scoring plays, NHL records, and current trends. There is no description of how hockey is played for kids unfamiliar with the sport. But, after all is read and done, this statement from chapter four still seems to be true: "For the most part, one goal tends to look the same as another." Mark Stewart's Hockey: A History of the Fastest Game on Ice (Watts, 1998) and Michael McKinley's Ice Time: The Story of Hockey (Tundra, 2006) are more complete. Score! is an okay addition but not a top-priority pick.-Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Following the same formula theyve honed in Long Ball (2006), Swish (2009), Touchdown (2009), and Goal! (2010), Stewart and Kennedy take readers on a chatty, photo-studded tour of the art of scoring in the rink. This intermediate-level hockey book definitely isnt for beginners, as theres no explanation of the sports rules or even lingo. What savvy readers will get, however, is a bounty of information on the games defining goals, goal scorers, and goal-scoring techniques. Lucid descriptions of the different mechanics involved in a snap shot, a wrist shot, and the relatively modern slap shot will have kids itching to get out on the ice. For such a male-dominated sport, its also nice that the authors pay some special attention to the feminine side of hockey (although its only been an Olympic sport since 1998, women have been playing nearly as long as men). Hockey is creeping up on the big-three team sports in terms of popularity in this country, but since there still arent many books covering much beyond the basics, this makes a worthy addition to any sports shelf.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)