• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Josh is afraid of what will happen if he gets involved. As he learns more, he's afraid of what will happen if he doesn't

When Josh Ellroy, left-winger for the Kamloops Blazers, and his dad find more than a dozen dead cattle on the family ranch, Josh has some serious decisions to make. On one hand, the Western Hockey League playoffs are ahead, plus a chance to play in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, there's a beautiful and interesting girl who believes more prize bulls will be killed.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

The Talk:
Reach For Your Dreams
It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you decide to go in life that is important. Sigmund Brouwer encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice for the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success.

The Presentation:
Sigmund's presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention. Audience size varies; often his presentations take place in the gym for the entire school, including kindergarten. (After the first half hour, the K-2 grades are dismissed, and the remainder of the presentation is focused on the older students.) There are no restrictions on audience size except for the space limitations of the gym. Smaller schools are welcome to invite another school to share in the cost of the presentation.

Booking:
For presentations that involve travel, Sigmund appreciates it if two or three schools in the area make bookings on the same day. For more information on booking, fees and expenses, please email Sigmund: rockandrollliteracy@me.com

Sigmund Brouwer's profile page

• Commended, Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC) Great Books
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection

"Brouwer's characters are believable, as is his plot, and readers will likely seek out further titles in this series."

Resource Links

"The reader becomes involved in the excitement of playing hockey, making new friends, and ultimately confronting those who are revealed to be responsible for harming the animals."

Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC)

"An excellent combination of the sports-themed genre with mystery and teen novel elements. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"More than just a sports story, Brouwer manages the weave of plots, creating a worthwhile book that will appeal to hockey loving readers as well as adventure and mystery readers. Written at a 3.8 RL, older reluctant readers will also find this a good match."

Puget Sound Council for Review of Children's Media