XJordin Tootoo: The highs and lows in the journey of the first Inuk to play in the NHL

Hockey is a relatively new sport in Canada's North. It wasn't until 2003 that Jordin Kudluk "Thunder" Tootoo became the first Inuk to play in an NHL game. Although hockey is a rough sport to begin with, Jordin Tootoo is known for having to "fight his way through." Jordin has had more than his fair share of fights ? both on and off the ice. He's had to overcome the social problems that are associated with the North, fight his way through the discrimination and culture shock he encountered after leaving Rankin Inlet and moving to Alberta to play in the Juniors, and see his way through the grief of losing his NHL-bound older brother and hero, Terence Tootoo, to suicide in 2002.
This new biography explores the struggles and accomplishments of the most recognized role model for young Aboriginal and Inuit people today. [Fry Reading Level - 4.6]

MELANIE FLORENCE is a proud Cree and a full-time journalist and children's writer currently based in Toronto. Melanie is working on her first YA novel, the story of an Aboriginal boy growing up on the rez.