• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 6

In 1963, under the brutal Communist regime, two hockey-loving brothers must throw a game in a Soviet-Czech tournament to help their imprisoned father.

Ten-year-old Lukas and his brother Denys want nothing more than to play hockey, but it’s 1963, and they live in Czechoslovakia, where the secret police (the “Eye”) are constantly on the lookout for anyone committing crimes against the state — whether that be reading a magazine about the NHL or saying anything negative about the Communist regime. Lukas’s father works for a newspaper, and printing the truth is a dangerous activity.

The family is poor, but hockey is the one bright light for the boys. They learn to skate on a bumpy outdoor rink in a city park. And when their talent is noticed, they are encouraged to try out for a local youth league, where they are thrilled to play in a real arena for the first time.

Then the boys’ father is arrested. No one knows where he has been taken or when he might be coming home. Lukas and Denys soon realize they are being watched, too, and when the secret police promise them information about their father if they help throw a game against a visiting Soviet team, Lukas must make some difficult decisions that may endanger his family and his friends, as he faces some tough questions about what loyalty really means.

Key Text Features

author’s note

biographical information

chapters

dialogue

glossary

historical note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7

Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

ANNA ROSNER is a teacher and writer. She is the author of two highly praised hockey biographies for young readers — Journeyman: The Story of NHL Right Winger Jamie Leach (finalist for the High Plains Book Award) and My Left Skate: The Extraordinary Story of Eliezer Sherbatov (finalist for the Red Cedar Book Award). Anna is the director of Books with Wings, which provides new, quality picture books for Indigenous children living in isolated communities. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Anna Rosner's profile page

Rosner strikes just the right balance ... She maintains suspense through strategic pacing as Lukas encounters peril.

An absorbing window into recent history.

Kirkus Reviews

[Rosner] seamlessly integrates facts into the narrative ... giving the basic information needed to understand the historical context without losing the thread of the story.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

This excellent book for young readers provides much historical information about the time of Soviet rule in Eastern Europe, as well as fun descriptions of hockey skills.

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

Readers will cheer for Lukas and Denys, fear for their safety, and rejoice when the siblings get to play hockey. A book sure to delight sports and historical fiction fans.

School Library Journal