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

One volume clearly wasn't enough -- here are even more greats from NHL history! Twenty more of the NHL's all-time superstars grace these pages. Included in the round-up are Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, Henri Richard, Bobby Clarke and Brett Hull!

Meet all kinds of puppies in this sweet illustrated series, perfect for newly independent readers! Maya, Kat, and her new friend Grace are all set to help Aunt Jenn with a new puppy. Murphy is a shy little sheltie pup with lots of energy, so the girls agree to walk him and help him get used to being around people. While on their walk in the park, the girls find an older cocker spaniel named Tawny that seems to be lost. They manage to reunite Tawny with her owner, but when they later find Tawny wandering the streets once more, the girls wonder if her owner deserves the responsibility of caring for the lovely little dog. Maya, Kat, and Grace can't agree on what's best for Tawny. Can Murphy help them sort it all out?

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.

The lion is king of the jungle! The great white shark is sovereign of the seas! The timber wolf is emperor of the forests! But . . . it's lonely at the top of the food chain. It's difficult to fit in when plant eaters can be so cruel—just because you ate a relative of theirs that one time! What's a carnivore to do? Aaron Reynolds's roaringly funny text is perfectly paired with Dan Santat's mouthwatering illustrations, creating a toothsome book that's sure to stand out from the herd. Plus, this is the fixed format version, which will look almost identical to the print version. Additionally for devices that support audio, this ebook includes a read-along setting.