Get on the Ice, Mo! (Mo Jackson #8)

K-Gr 3--Another Mo sports story, this one about ice hockey, joins the collection. Mo is practicing his skating with his dad and friends, but he keeps falling. They tell him to keep his head up, which helps. When the game starts, Mo sits on the bench and watches. Finally, the coach puts him in the game, and he scores the winning goal! Like the previous Mo books, the text is short and accessible and the plot easy to follow. Transitional readers will be able to summarize the main events and understand different points of view. Most of the vocabulary will be familiar, and young readers will be introduced to the sport of ice hockey. Mo and his family are Black, and some of the other characters have different skin tones. Ricks's illustrations capture Mo's initial unease on the ice and his pride in helping his team win at the end. While it is not necessary to have the other books in the collection, the popular topic of sports and likable characters will appeal to young readers who can then go on to explore more titles. VERDICT Recommended purchase for young readers who enjoy sports stories. --Heidi Dechief