Review by Shirley Nelson (Children's Literature):
On May 19, 1984, twenty-three year old Wayne Gretzky achieved a lifelong dream when he led the Edmonton Oilers to win their first Stanley Cup. Wayne had been practicing for this day since he learned to ice skate at the age of two. By the time he was four, his father used the lawn sprinkler to build an ice rink in their backyard so he could easily watch the young boy learn to handle his hockey stick. Wayne proved to be a great player even then, but his age was against him. Area youth leagues had an age requirement of ten; however, six-year old Wayne was finally allowed to tryout and won a place on a team. His aptitude made him popular with the media. He was first called “the Great Gretzky” when he was only ten. But his talent also created jealousy in his teammates and their parents. This short biography in the “Groundbreaker” series follows Wayne Gretzky from his early days in hockey through his professional career as a player and then coach, including the ups and downs. Photos and sidebars enhance this biography of “the Great One” for hockey fans or anyone looking for an inspirational story of someone working to achieve his dreams. 2011, Crabtree. Ages 8 to 12. ( )