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

Twelve-year-old Jess and her friends have been playing hockey with the boys in Fort Desperation, Northwest Territories, since they were six years old. They'd like to start a girls' team in their community, but is tiny Fort Desperation ready for it? Somebody is trying to scare them off through acts of vandalism. Not only do Jess and her friends have to organize a team, find a coach and learn to play together, they have to unmask the Hockey Vandal. Can they do it before the Vandal destroys their team's hopes?

Fran Hurcomb arrived in the Northwest Territories in 1975 and immediately succumbed to the spell of the North. She lived on a trapline, ran sled dogs for almost twenty years, built and lived on a houseboat, and has worked at a variety of jobs. Her first children's book was published in 1999, followed by two northern pictorial histories. Fran lives in Yellowknife with her husband, hockey-playing daughter and several pets.

Fran Hurcomb's profile page

• Nominated, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Award
• Short-listed, Silver Birch Express Award nominee
• Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books
• Commended, Resource Links "The Year's Best"

"A terrific read... Not only is this a well-written book with a good plot, it is a lot of fun...Jess's views and her day-to-day life alone make this an interesting book to read. Add hockey and a mystery, and what more can kids in this age group want? Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"Canadian content for young readers! Tremendously written...Young readers will learn about team work, cooperation, competition, success and failure."

Resource Links

"There's a strong sense of community, and of place...Accessible, and a good balance of sports and mystery."

Elisabeth Reads blog

"An inspiring story about achieveing goals, finding pride, and building community. Absolutely delightful."

Carol Morin on CBC News: Northbeat