TBC: Hockey Superstars 2011-2012

I'm on the road today, readers, so things may get posted a little more slowly as I try to finish my Christmas shopping in the lower 48 United States. Canadian retailers may be gasping at that admission, but there are some things you just can't get in Canada. Thus, my trip is necessary. In any case, I was lucky enough to squeeze a little reading in, and Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Hockey Superstars 2011-12, written by Paul Romanuk and published by Scholastic Canada. There are some cool features for kids in Hockey Superstars 2011-2012 that will make this book useful throughout the season, and the facts and stats presented about each of the 17 players profiled by Mr. Romanuk will make learning about some of the great players a lot more fun!

Best known for his work on TSN, Paul Romanuk has covered over a thousand NHL and international hockey games in his 25-year broadcasting career. He routinely works as the play-by-play man for the Spengler Cup, but has also covered Stanley Cup Finals, World Championships, World Junior Championships, and the Olympic Games. Mr. Romanuk now lives in London, England, and works as a writer, producer, and broadcaster.

There are probably a vast number of arguments one can make for and against the inclusion of some of the players featured in Hockey Superstars 2011-2012, but there's no denying that the players chosen by Mr. Romanuk have star power. The one thing that makes my copy a little different from the image above is that my copy of Hockey Superstars 2011-2012 has Tim Thomas on the front! Maybe there are other publications with different players shown on the cover?

One of the cooler features, however, is that Mr. Romanuk included a workbook in the book. There's a two-page setup in the front of the book that gives a little info on each team: nickname, team colours, home arena, and the name of each team's mascot! For kids who love knowing things like all the NHL arenas, these two pages will keep your little hockey encyclopedia busy!

The workbook portion continues as there's a page to list your child's favorite team and the opening night roster. There's an area where your child can track changes, trades, and new players added to the roster. There's a spot where your little hockey prognosticator can fill in who he or she thinks will win each NHL division as well as the Eastern and Western Conference Champions. There's a page where your statistician can do monthly tracking of his or her favorite team's record, as well as the stats of his or her favorite players and goaltenders. Honestly, this portion of the book will keep your hockey follower tracking all sorts of stuff for the entire season!

Hockey Superstars 2011-2012 features 17 of the best players who are profiled by Mr. Romanuk. Tim Thomas, the cover model, is one, and he is joined by players such as Daniel Briere, Jonas Hiller, and Martin St. Louis. Crosby? He's in there. Ovechkin? Got him too. The players are listed alphabetically, making finding the star in the book much easier. On each of the profiles, there are great stories and interesting facts about the player featured. The facts are interesting, and your hockey fan will eat them up!

Hockey Superstars 2011-2012 is a fairly easy read for older readers, so I'd tend to lean towards children for this book with all the interactive stat-keeping in between the covers. There is only 48 pages in the book, but each one is filled with something to read or do for your little hockey star. Hockey Superstars 2011-2012 certainly deserves Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval for all of the great features this book has between its covers!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!