The Third Period Comeback by E. K. Johnston

In an almost dystopian - indeed, apocalyptic - current events news cycle – even for children – this book is an oasis, a balm. It is a funny, quirky-character driven book with Canadian in-jokes, wonderful inclusiveness, Canadian settings and activities – cottages/cabins, hockey, camping, etc. And, it also has magical elements that make the plot remarkably unpredictable. Reading it feels like Ms. Johnston had a riot writing it.

You probably have favourite authors, like I do, who could write anything, and you’d look forward to reading it – for any age level, any genre, fiction, non-fiction, Cabbage Seeds Catalogue – whatever.

E.K. Johnston is one of these, for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed her YA titles, so far, and she has my vote for best book title ever – Exit, Pursued by a Bear.

Holding an author in such high esteem, can be perilous. Looking forward to reading a book, sets one up for disappointment. The Third Period Comeback is Ms. Johnston’s first foray into Juvenile Fiction. Here, huge anticipation was justified - it’s a barnburner.

A clan of hockey playing tween cousins, conspire one summer, to do what their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great, great relatives – together with the NHL and generations of Toronto Maple Leaf fans – have failed to do. In the story, their great, great grandfather died in a plane crash, and was never found. In the story, the Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since; ergo, it’s widely believed that the team is cursed by the disappearance. In the story, every member of the cousins’ extended family, is also believed to be cursed, and therefore banned from playing organized hockey after childhood. In the story, curses are a real thing. “Curse breaking” is an industry, etc. (This story arc references the Maple Leafs’ curse narrative in the real world. For that “true” curse, see the Tragically Hip song, “Fifty-Mission Cap.”)

The cousins spend every summer together under the lax supervision of their grand parents, at a family huddle of cabins in the wilderness. As it happens, the crash took place en route to this remote location – and therefore possibly nearby. This summer, the oldest cousins are approaching the end of their hockey playing careers, as dictated by the curse. This summer, the band of cousins find research about the curse from previous generations. Their older relatives worked in solitude. This generation of cousins pool their resources, and believe in each other, if not themselves. It’s hard to say enough about this empowering, authentic, engaging very Canadian story. Mostly, it’s a story about innocent, childhood fun.

I should add, I am not a Maple Leaf fan. I’m not an NHL fan. I am a fan of the PWHL and Canadian National Hockey teams. If I can enjoy this book, you can too. We are all on team Canada.

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This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.