Welcome to another hockey season! Many families are hitting the rinks across Canada grateful for a return to the sport they love. You wouldn’t be living in Canada if you didn’t have many different hockey books to enjoy as well. So what makes a hockey book stand out? In On the Line by Kari-Lynn Winters and Scot Ritchie readers get a hockey story with a community twist.

Jackson Moore comes from a family of hockey players so everyone assumes he is going to be an awesome player himself. He’s a big kid and has all the right equipment but when he steps out onto the ice it’s clear that he hasn’t gotten the family hockey gene. His team is hoping to compete in a local tournament but they are in trouble of not participating because many players on the team don’t have the proper equipment. Jackson becomes a team hero just like the others in his family but maybe not in the way they were all expecting.

This story gave me some very Mighty Ducks vibes and being a huge fan of the movies and the new series, I really enjoyed this book. I grew up in a hockey family but neither of my kids care to play the sport so at times hockey stories can be a tough sell for us. I know so many hockey fans who will really enjoy this story and so many parents who will love the aspect of community and giving back that Kari-Lynn Winters has built into the text. With the hockey community acknowledging the ways that teams are boosting their communities, it’s a bonus to have a story to help them along. I love that we are seeing stories about kindness and leadership off the ice as well as on the ice. We need to show readers that being a team player and a team leader is more than how they play, it’s how they create opportunities and give back off the ice too.

Scot Richie’s illustrations are colourful and filled with excellent hockey action. I love all of the team members in their various iterations of equipment, most not appropriate for playing hockey. He creates a beautiful community throughout the story that readers will love.