Off the Crossbar

by David Skuy

This book is suitable for children aged 4-8 years. Charlie Joyce is the new kid at Terrence Falls High School - and he wasn't sure about trying out for the school hockey team. But when some guys tell him he doesn't have a chance, Charlie feels he has to stand up for himself. Follow along as Charlie battles, both on and off the ice, for a spot on the team. He knows he can play - and now he'll have to prove it. Expectations for the team are high. Will Charlie lead them to the gold medal in the Champions Cup? Or will rivalries and infighting destroy their chances? Full of fast-paced action and packed with insightful hockey tips, this book will appeal to any kid who loves the game. This is a book for kids who understand sports, and know what it's like to compete on the ice, the soccer pitch, the basketball court, or the playground!

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Sports

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jacob D]

The book is about a 14 year old kid who just moved to Terrence Falls due to the death of his Father. He goes to a pickup hockey game at his local arena and is tripped by a bully who is known as Jake. This is a start of a rivalry between the two boys. When Charlie went to school for the first time, Jake told him he shouldn't bother trying out for the School hockey Team. A few days later tryouts were hosted and Charlie knocked it out of the park and made the team. They held a vote see see who would be C and the As and Charlie was voted captain. Jake was outraged which also caused a rift in their rivalry. During the tourney it was clear charlie was a really good choice for captain as he showed great leadership and was 3 in scoring. In the semi finals Jake and his friends quit the team causing them to be short players going into the championship game against chelsea. Still they put up a good fight and only lost by one goal which was a last minute goal. The book overall is really good and has a lot of ups and downs and that is why it was the perfect choice for the opening of the series.

[Tyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was very good and had lots of detail to characters and settings. The book also had a good story and I plan to read more David Skuy books. I would recommend this book to hockey players because it made a lot of sense if you play hockey, the book is about this boy named Charlie Joyce, he is having trouble adjusting to his new school since he just moved, but then there are some bullies and they start picking on him but then he proves them wrong in the school hockey tournament.

[Carsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think this was a good book because the author put a lot of detail like when the puck was flying in the air he made it sound like it was in real life that i could see the puck flying through the air with the sound of a whistle and it just brings nostalgia and there are so many of those moments in the book one more thing I like about this book is that he made the story so long which made me wanna read more i really enjoyed this book

[Teebz Hbic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Off the Crossbar can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.

[Joey Woodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey woodrum

Prove them wrong

“I usually let my game do the talking.David Skuy” I think the importance of this quote is proving somebody wrong by the way you perform physically, not mentally. Charlie is using this strategy to fit in at his new school and his new hockey team. Charlie Joyce is the new kid on the block and wants to fit in by showing his skill and making the hockey team. Zachary, Charlie's new friend had just made is now on the same line as Charlie and they just click together so well. Pudge, is the other linemate of charlie and he used to play defense but Charlie told coach that he would be a good fit on the line. Jake, is practically Charlie's biggest enemy ever since he came to school and no one knows why he dislikes him so much maybe perhaps Charlie might steal his spot on the team. Hilton the coach, and was a great hockey player back in the day and that is why he is so well respected. The theme of the story is a sports and drama mixed together. This book can be read for children in grades 7th and up. Personally I loved the book and would rate it 5 out of 5 because I can really relate to the book because i play hockey as well so I can really put myself in Charlie's shoes. Overall I really liked this book and suggest it to anyone who loves sports.

[Lukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love hockey books. I also like David Skuy and his books.

[Nicole Partlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting book

Loved reading about it it was cool
It was intense at the end on that last play
Excited to read the next one!