• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Willie O'Ree quietly made NHL history at the Montreal Forum on January 18, 1958, when he became the first black player to take to the ice. In the dressing room before the game, his Boston Bruins teammates told him not to worry. If any one of the Montreal players said anything to him, they'd have his back.

There was a round of applause when O'Ree stepped onto the ice, and newspapers ran the story. The colour barrier in the NHL had been broken, yet it would be sixteen years before the next black player, Mike Marson (also a Canadian), was drafted. Four decades later, the NHL pulled O'Ree out of retirement to honour his achievement and make him an ambassador for the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" program to encourage kids from all backgrounds to play hockey.

This new book by Nicole Mortillaro traces the early life of O'Ree in Fredericton, New Brunswick, his journey to the NHL, highlights from his hockey career, and his work encouraging diversity in the NHL.

[Fry reading level - 4.9

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) was founded ad hoc in 1868 and incorporated in 1890 with a dual membership of professionals and amateurs. It has 29 Canadian chapters and over 5,000 members. The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is entering its 117th year of publication, and the RASC also produces a number of other publications and guidebooks.

Nicole Mortillaro is an avid amateur astronomer, author, editor, Senior Science Reporter for CBC News and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. She is the author of Saturn, and lives in Toronto, Canada.

Nicole Mortillaro's profile page

• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection (Canadian Children's Book Centre)
• Commended, One of the Year's Best for 2013 -- Resource Links
• Short-listed, 2013-14 Red Cedar (Non Fiction) Award

[Mortillaro does paint clear pictures of the sports history and significance, especially in Canada, as well as the racial hostility that ORee braved through much of his playing career.

Booklist

Featured as a "Book of Interest" in The Seniors' Advocate

Seniors Advocate

"Willie O'Ree is well-researched. [Mortillaro has made Willie O'Ree's story an engrossing one. Her writing style is easy to read and suitable for young readers." Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials