Blazer Drive

With playoffs ahead and a chance to play a few games in the National Hockey League, Josh hesitates to get involved when he finds more than a dozen dead cattle on his dad's ranch.

When Josh Ellroy, left-winger for the Kamloops Blazers, and his dad find more than a dozen dead cattle on the family ranch, Josh has some serious decisions to make. On one hand, the Western Hockey League playoffs are ahead, plus a chance to play in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, there's a beautiful and interesting girl who believes more prize bulls will be killed. Josh is afraid of what will happen if he gets involved. As he learns more, he's afraid of what will happen if he doesn't. Sigmund Brouwer is the prolific, best-selling author of books in a number of genres. He lives in Red Deer, Alberta, and Nashville, Tennessee.

KLIATT

Stephanie and Josh each live on a ranch; their families own prize bulls from the same bloodline and both have had their bulls and other cows mysteriously slaughtered. There are no roads to the sites where the bulls were killed, no tracks, and very few clues. Josh wants to help solve the puzzle—not only because he is attracted to Stephanie, but also because he raised Big Boy, the bull killed on his ranch. However, this mystery isn't the only one in this brief, easy-to-read novel. Luke and Josh play on the same hockey team. Luke has always been the high-scoring player who hasn't quite figured out that hockey is a team sport. Recently Luke has been skating slower, his shots aren't as accurate, and he is missing plays that should have been easy. Tension between them increases as Luke takes out his frustrations on Josh. What's Luke's problem? The coach tells them they must work it out. The night the boys agree to talk it out is the night that Stephanie and Josh are almost killed trying to solve the mystery of the murdered cows. Luke overcomes his fears and saves their lives, but at the next game the mystery of Luke's poor hockey performance is solved—he is ill. Josh is there to support and encourage him, and so is the rest of the team. Stephanie, Josh, and Luke discover that even though life is difficult, it is easier when you realize it is a team sport and no one wins on their own.

The Talk:

Reach For Your Dreams

It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you decide to go in life that is important. Sigmund Brouwer encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice for the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success.

The Presentation:

Sigmund's presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention. Audience size varies; often his presentations take place in the gym for the entire school, including kindergarten. (After the first half hour, the K-2 grades are dismissed, and the remainder of the presentation is focused on the older students.) There are no restrictions on audience size except for the space limitations of the gym. Smaller schools are welcome to invite another school to share in the cost of the presentation.

Booking:

For presentations that involve travel, Sigmund appreciates it if two or three schools in the area make bookings on the same day. For more information on booking, fees and expenses, please e-mail Sigmund: [email protected]