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

Ray Hockaday plays center for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League.

Ray has spent his hockey career hiding something from the world. When his new Russian room-mate shows up, Ray is assigned to help Vlad get used to life in Canada. What Ray doesn't know is that Vlad is also hiding something. And that secret could get both of them 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

• Nominated, Golden Eagle Children’s Choice
• Long-listed, American Library Association (ALA) Popular Paperback for Young Adults
• Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books
• Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Our Choice

"A page-turner; the kind of book you don't want to put down even when the lunch bell goes."

Resource Links

"Edge of your seat, hold on to your hat action - just the thing to hook reluctant readers."

Teen Reads Too

"A fun read for anyone who is interested in hockey...enough excitement to keep even the most reluctant reader interested. Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials