Misconduct

Sylvia Pantaleo is an associate 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.

Matthew, Chen, and Jason meet Dillon McPhail at peewee-hockey camp in
August. Dillon is an aggressive player who physically communicates his
intentions to make the team. Dillon is unhappy with his parents’
recent move to a small town and believes that his bullying on the ice
and misbehaving at school will convince his parents to return to
Toronto. When school starts in September, Dillon is in Matthew’s Grade
6 classroom, and due to miscommunication and a series of misinterpreted
events, the boys develop an uneasy friendship. However, befriending
Dillon and behaving in uncharacteristic ways both on and off the ice
jeopardize Matthew’s reputation, as well as his friendship with Chen
and Jason. After some self-reflection, Matthew makes some difficult
decisions regarding his hockey playing and his friends.

Scudamore has created realistic characters whose actions are motivated
by believable goals and values. The interpersonal dynamics and the
dialogue among the Grade 6 students are also accurately portrayed. The
plot and subplots are engaging and maintain reader interest throughout
the novel. Although hockey is the focus of the story, Scudamore provides
descriptions of the characters’ social life at school, as well as
their interactions at home. Recommended.