The Screech Owls Scrapbook

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

MacGregor has compiled a wealth of information in this scrapbook about
the famous peewee hockey team, the Screech Owls. Player profiles provide
background information about each team member and about some of the
events that have happened to the players during the 16 books (to date).
The profiles are written in the first person and MacGregor effectively
captures the voice of each player.

The scrapbook also contains other trivia and team history. MacGregor
cites the source of each novel excerpt he uses as the material for the
following sections: “Nish’s Top Ten Reasons Why He Should Be
Captain,” “Nish’s Top Ten Stupidest Purchases,” “Sensational
Plays,” “Nish’s Top Ten Dumbest Lines,” “Muck’s Life Lessons
& Coaching Tips,” “A Few Great Laughs,” “A Gallery of
Unforgettable Villains,” “Best Tricks Played on Nish,” and
“Nish’s Greatest Madcap Schemes.” The final two sections of the
book are “Roster Changes” and “Record of All Games Played.”

A table of contents assists readers in accessing information in the
scrapbook. The colorful and lively illustrations complement and extend
MacGregor’s text. My one criticism is the excessive attention devoted
to Nish in the scrapbook. Obviously, the scrapbook will be of most
interest and relevance to those readers familiar with the Screech Owls
books. Overall, an enjoyable read. Recommended.