Journeyman : The Story of NHL Right Winger Jamie Leach

Nominated for the High Plains Book AwardA 2021 Best Books for Kids and Teens selection!On the last day of elementary school, eleven-year-old Anna finds a leather-bound book about handwriting analysis. Anna could use help deciphering people. Her best friend has started wearing mascara and plans to spend the summer with a more fashionable classmate. And her parents threaten to give away her tortoises just because she''s a little forgetful about taking care of the sick one.
Why does everyone expect Anna to change before middle school starts? She''s going to stay exactly the same. After all, large loopy letters, like Anna''s, show she''s perceptive and generous. It''s everyone else''s sloppy writing that is so hard to understand. But a mysterious note forces Anna to make a choice between her graphology obsession and the people - and tortoises - she cares about the most.
Bossy, inventive Anna is authentic and endearing. Her dilemmas and struggles-especially when her creative solutions breed new problems-are convincing, at once familiar and fresh. . .A droll, deftly executed debut. - Kirkus Reviews
Anna is a relatable heroine. - CM Reviews

Journeyman is a first-person biography of Ojibwe rightwinger Jamie Leach, son of the legendary NHL superstar Reggie Leach. Follow the fascinating hockey trajectory from his childhood years watching his father play for the Philadelphia Flyers, to Jamies first goal in the NHL. Journeyman touches on Jamies summers on Lake Winnipeg, the World Junior Hockey Championships, his life in the minor leagues, and his eventual draft into the NHL as a Pittsburgh Penguin. Discover how some of hockeys biggest stars such as Bobby Clarke, Jaromir Jagr, and Mario Lemieux influenced Jamies life. Written in close consultation with Jamie and his mother, readers will learn about the struggles Jamie conquered, including his fathers alcoholism and his own crippling selfdoubt. A story of determination, heartbreak and perseverance.