With hockey season in full force and the NHL All-Star game rapidly approaching it felt appropriate to share a brilliant new hockey story. Game Face by Shari Green is a middle grade novel in verse about Jonah, a goalie with a lot on his mind.

Jonah and his best friend Ty love hockey. They play rep together and when they aren’t out on the ice with the team, they are on the outdoor rink practicing their shots and saves. Jonah has a lot on his mind, all the time. He has anxiety and it can pop up at the worst times. When Ty has a scary medical episode, Jonah struggles with existential questions about his place on the team and his drive to continue playing. That coupled with the fact that his dad can’t even go to his games due to his own crippling anxiety, Jonah has a lot on is plate.

Goalies are a special group of people. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a small rubber disk hurdling at you at breakneck speeds. I love that Shari Green has chosen a goalie as her main character as so many halo key stories centre the goal scores as opposed to the goal savers. Many readers will feel seen and understood through this story. As we are seeing more and more in the professional ranks at least, athletes are beginning to take their mental health seriously and it’s through books like Game Face that we can teach young players that they don’t have to just suck it up and play. Their mental well being is just as important as their physical well being. Many readers today are experiencing higher levels of anxiety than in the past so to have stories that reflect the experience are so critical to helping young people advocate for themselves, understand what they are experiencing and feel seen.

This story is A LOT in the best way. Not only do both Jonah and his dad experience anxiety but best friend Ty experiences a complicated medical event that leaves him unable to play hockey AND the neighour and new friend Rose has a grandparent experiencing Alzheimer’s. Whoa! That’s why I think the novel in verse format was a perfect choice for this particular story. Although lots of heavy topics abound, the style keeps the story moving along without feeling bogged down by the weight of the themes. 

An excellent choice for middle grade readers!