Wingman on Ice by Matt Christopher | Teen Ink

Wingman on Ice by Matt Christopher

November 24, 2010
By Wombat BRONZE, Andonver, Minnesota
Wombat BRONZE, Andonver, Minnesota
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.


How much do you like sports? Todd Baker, a young boy who plays on the Bantam League White Knights and is the main character of Wingman on Ice, loves hockey. For Christmas, (just before the beginning of the hockey season) Todd is given a magnificent new hockey stick by his parents. He uses it in the first game of the season, against the Trojans, but does poorly. After the game, at Todd’s house, he throws the stick into the closet and promises not to take it out again until he becomes a better hockey player. He practices very hard, but many other things are happening in his life, such as the annual father-son hockey banquet, which he does not think his father will want to attend, his sister Jane’s participation in the ice show, which is coming up in January, and his teacher, Ms. Hudson, who is ( he believes) a sports hater. He also has to face his best friend, who is on a rival team, the Vikings, this year. In the final game, against the Spartans, Todd, who is now a much improved hockey player, takes his new stick and leads the White Knights to victory and the league championship.

I moderately liked this book. I am not a massive sports fan, so I did not enjoy this book as much as I might have if I was. I found some of the scenes to be interesting, or exiting, but other scenes were corny. I also thought that this book was too short.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in sports and has a relatively low reading level.

Matt Christopher, the author of Wingman on Ice, has a distinct writing style. He is the most popular sports fiction author for children, or so his books claim. His style is not to simply involve sports in his books, but also to reveal the thoughts and feelings of the main character, who is always an athlete. He also lets the reader know about what the main character’s life is like when they are not playing sports. I, personally, like this style of sports fiction better than the variety that features only sports.

This was far from the best book I have ever read. As a general rule, I am not a big fan of the sports fiction genre, and Wingman on Ice, despite being a moderately good book was, for the most part, typical of the genre. Compared to other books in this genre, I thought Wingman on Ice was very good. However, compared with many books in other genres, Wingman on Ice was, in my opinion, fairly low quality.

The main theme of this book is to be determined, no matter what happens. Todd, for instance, is determined to become a better hockey player, even if it means giving up his brand new stick. Another important theme is Be Confidant. Todd, for example, is not confident of his abilities, and loses the first game because of this.

There are many ways in which this book could be improved. First of all, it could have been longer. With only 126 pages, I considered this book to be much too short. The author could have added more non-hockey events, as well as more hockey games. He also could have elaborated on the father-son banquet, as well as the ice show. The author could have cut back on the sentimental scenes within Todd’s head, as well as on uninteresting hockey practice scenes. There are also a few grammatical errors in this book that should have been fixed. So, if you like sports fiction and hockey, Wingman on Ice is a great book for you.


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Matice BRONZE said...
on Nov. 30 2011 at 11:09 am
Matice BRONZE, O&#39Fallon, Missouri
2 articles 0 photos 141 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Maria, first, let me say that you will most certainly regret it. Second, let me say that I'm in."-Smith

Good job! I enjoyed reading this. :) I really like your style. Keep writing!

If you get the chance, please check out some of my work. I'm looking to improve, and really like constructive criticism.