Scholastic Canada Biography Meet Willie O Ree

Meet Willie O'Ree--Hockey Hall of Famer and a trailblazer for diversity on and off the ice! On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree made history as the first black player in the NHL when he suited up with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. O'Ree went on to play a total of 45 games with the Bruins, a remarkable achievement considering what he overcame to get there. In addition to dealing with racism, bigotry and name-calling, Willie lived with a secret disability: he was blind in one eye -- a fact he had to keep to himself, or he'd never play in the NHL. Thanks to his relentless positivity and love of the game, Willie's time with the Bruins was only one of his many achievements in hockey. The Scholastic Canada Biography series aims to introduce young readers to remarkable Canadians whose lives and contributions have shaped our country and led the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Meet Willie O'Ree is no exception. This wonderful book is a celebration of his life from childhood to playing career, to his later work as an ambassador for NHL diversity, and to his eventual induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Written by award-winning author Elizabeth MacLeod, this portrait of Willie O'Ree couples simple yet compelling writing with full-colour, comic-flavoured illustrations by Mike Deas that help bring this fascinating story to life!

"Meet Willie O'Ree -- the first Black hockey player to play in the NHL. He blazed a trail for diversity on and off the ice! On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree made history when he suited up with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. O'Ree went on to play a total of 45 games with the Bruins, a remarkable achievement considering all he had to overcome to get there. He was often subjected to racism, bigotry and name-calling. He was blind in one eye -- something he had to keep secret or he'd never play in the NHL. But thanks to his relentless positivity, perseverance and love of the game, Willie's time with the Bruins is only the beginning of his achievements in hockey. Players like Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla and many others looked to him for inspiration. For the past twenty years he has served as the NHL's Director of Youth Development and ambassador for NHL diversity and is the leader of the "Hockey Is For Everyone" program -- a title he still holds today. Finally, in January of 2018, Willie was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. According to the NHL commissioner, "There are a select few about whom it can truly be said: 'He changed the game.' Willie O'Ree is among that select few." "

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

This special Championship edition features the hottest players on the Toronto Raptors and from all across the NBA! The NBA's top players are included, with glossy, full-page colour photos, bios, previous-season stats and more! A special section profiles the 2019 championship team, the Toronto Raptors. Players include Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Khris Middleton and many more, to keep the hoop dreams alive -- and young fans reading -- into the next exciting season!

An inspiring memoir that shows that anyone can achieve their dreams if they are willing to fight for them. In 1958, Willie O'Ree was a lot like any other player toiling in the minors. He was good. Good enough to have been signed by the Boston Bruins. Just not quite good enough to play in the NHL. Until January 18 of that year. O'Ree was finally called up, and when he stepped out onto the ice against the Montreal Canadiens, not only did he fulfil the childhood dream he shared with so many other Canadian kids, he did something that had never been done before. He broke hockey's colour barrier. Just as his hero, Jackie Robinson, had done for baseball. In that pioneering first NHL game, O'Ree proved that no one could stop him from being a hockey player. But he soon learned that he could never be just a hockey player. He would always be a black player, with all that entails. There were ugly name-calling and stick-swinging incidents, and nights when the Bruins had to be escorted to their bus by the police. But O'Ree never backed down. When he retired in 1979, he had played hundreds of games as a pro, and scored hundreds of goals, his boyhood dreams more than accomplished. In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition not only of that legacy, but of the way he has built on it in the decades since. He has been, for twenty years now, an NHL Executive and has helped the NHL Diversity program expose more than 40,000 boys and girls of diverse backgrounds to unique hockey experiences. Inspiring, frank, and shot through with the kind of understated courage and decency required to change the world, Willie is a story for anyone willing to persevere for a dream.

Meet Viola Desmond, community leader and early civil rights trailblazer! On the night of November 8th 1946, Nova Scotia businesswoman Viola Desmond stood up for her right to be in the "unofficial" whites-only section of a New Glasgow movie theatre . . . and was arrested for it. Supported by the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSCAACP) and the black-owned newspaper The Clarion, Viola took her quest for the right to freedom from discrimination to the courts. While she ultimately did not succeed, she was a beacon to other early civil-rights activists. Her sister Wanda worked hard to promote Viola's legacy, which has been finally honoured by Viola's inclusion on the new Canadian $10 bill. This new picture book biography series features simple text and full-colour, comic-flavoured illustration with speech balloons that help bring the story alive. Historical photos and a timeline support the narrative.

Tom and Harty both want to play for the Hawks, but will the competition ruin their friendship? Tom is excited when he learns that Harty, the boy he met at hockey camp in The Wicked Slapshot, has moved into the neighbourhood! That is, until Tom realizes that Harty will be competing with him for a spot on the Hawks -- and he seems to be winning over all of Tom's teammates. With tryouts looming, Tom starts to feel jealous. What if Harty makes the team and he doesn't? Will he be able to remain friends with Harty AND the guys? Tryout Trouble is an easy-to-read chapter book, perfect for emerging readers who are transitioning to chapter books.

"Meet Colonel Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space - and make a music video while in orbit! When Chris Hadfield was a boy, growing up on a farm in Milton, Ontario, Canada didn't have a space program. But from the moment he saw a man first walk on the moon, young Chris decided he would somehow get to space. And with everything Chris did, from learning to fix farm machinery and joining the Air Cadets to flying fighter planes and becoming a test pilot, he prepared himself to get there. Chris Hadfield has rocketed into space three times, been on two space walks and was the first Canadian to command the International Space Station. And nobody plays a guitar in space or rocks a mustache better! This new picture book biography series features simple text and full-colour, comic-flavoured illustration with speech balloons that help bring the story alive. Historical photos and timeline support the narrative."--