Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament

Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament

By Lorna Schultz Nicholson and Kelly Findley

Published on October 14th 2014
Published by Tundra Books
Source: Publisher

In Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament, it is Christmas Eve and Puckster is nervously watching the heavy snowfall gather on the ground and in the trees. It is his first Christmas away from home and though he is excited to be with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Tournament, he is afraid that the winter storm will prevent his family and friends from travelling to the remote arena and arrive in time for Christmas morning.

But there is another traveler that Puckster and the players are excited to see this Christmas. Santa! When the heavy snow forces the closure of the roads, only Santa and his team of reindeer can help. Will everyone be together for Christmas? In this magical story of friendship, young hockey fans learn the true meaning of the holidays. Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament is destined to be a holiday classic.

Here's another adorable children's book that would be a good read for the young sports lover in your life.  I think even kids who aren't into hockey could enjoy reading this one. It's got a great, positive message and whimsical, colorful art.

As with the previous Puckster book, one of my favorite things was how inclusive the cast of characters was.  Taking aside the fact that half of them are animals, it was cool to see that there's a girl on Puckster's team, as well as a disabled character.  Pictures of the Canadian team included characters of color, as well as shots of the crowd.  Hockey is, by and large, a very white sport, so representation definitely matters in a book like this.

This is a great holiday-time read for your little ones to reinforce the (secular) meaning of the Christmas holiday, the importance of friends and family, and having a positive attitude.