2015
WISE Score
Amazon
The story of the Great One, told in a way that won't make your 8-year-old's eyes glaze over.
4.8
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If your kid likes sports, this is a no-brainer. The 'Who Was?' series is basically the gold standard for keeping elementary kids engaged with non-fiction.
It’s clean, it’s inspiring, and it’s short enough that they might actually finish it in a weekend. It’s not 'high art,' but it’s solid, informative, and way better than another hour of mindless scrolling.
Best for 7 to 12-year-olds. It’s the sweet spot for 3rd and 4th graders doing their first biography reports.
Gretzky is famously the 'class act' of sports. The book focuses heavily on his family-first attitude and his reputation for being a decent human being, which is a nice break from the typical ego-heavy athlete narrative.
It's a biography, so it's grounded in reality, but it does a great job of helping kids visualize the 'office' behind the net and how Gretzky saw the game differently than everyone else.
It's a 'Who Was?' book. There is zero objectionable content here. No locker room scandals, no violence beyond standard hockey plays, and no foul language.
Excellent for teaching work ethic and the idea that being 'small' doesn't mean you can't dominate. It also sneaks in some history about the NHL and Canadian culture.
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