Yossi's Goal.

Deborah Dowson is a Canaadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

Yossi’s family came to Montreal six months ago to flee the Russian pogroms in 1891. Their life is harder now that they share a cramped apartment with his sister’s fiancé and his mother. Everyone works for the garment factory in poor conditions for terrible wages. The factory owners are also Jewish, but they don’t seem to care that their workers are treated so badly. Yossi learns that the factory owner’s son, Max, is a bully. Yossi befriends some French-Canadian boys and discovers that he would love to play hockey and starts saving his pennies to buy skates. Max also bullies Yossi’s new friends, and their parents also work in the factories. As the kids come together, so do the factory workers. The workers stage a successful strike and conditions slowly start to improve. Yossi’s dream comes true and he has a chance to learn to play hockey.

The cover and the title of the book may entice young hockey fans, who will soon be drawn into Yossi’s story. Through Yossi’s daily life experiences readers gain a sense of the struggles and injustice faced by garment workers and their families, and the courage they required to change their working conditions. Although hockey isn’t the focus of the story, Yossi’s spunk and enthusiasm will appeal to young readers and the scenes of kids dealing with the bully are exciting and satisfying. This is a very appealing work of historical fiction for early chapter book readers. Recommended.