Just One Goal - Munsch - Book Review

Just One Goal
by Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Scholastic 2008


This is the latest of the Munsch books.



Robert Munsch seems to have a fascination for the Canadian Territories because this is the second book I have read that is set in the North West Territories. This book is about a girl named Ciara (kee-ara) in Hay River, NWT.

Ciara lives with her parents and two older sisters on the River in the town of Hay River, North West Territories. Up until now the family has to drive all the way across town to play hockey at the local rink. Ciara decides that the river is the perfect place to make an ice rink, so that she doesnt have to go all the way across town just to play hockey.

Ciara pesters her father, her mother and her older sisters. Both the parents say that the river ice too jagged and bumpy to make a rink. Her sisters say it's not fair, Since they had to go acros town to play hockey, then so should she. They are not going to help her make a rink on the river.

So Ciara decides to make her own rink. She spends the whole of the next day going back and forth with jugs of warm water, until the northern lights came out, making a rink. At bed time she had made a small but very smooth rink, big enough for a small dog.

The next day her father rents a bulldozer and clears the river ice and makes a real people sized ice rink on the river. Ciara puts up a sign calling it the River Rats Rink, and lots of kids came to play. But Ciara for some reasion is never able to win a game.

One time the game stopped when a moose went to sleep in the goal net. Another time a large brown bear with a baby ran across the ice chasing all the kids away, and the third time a group of teenagers interrupted the game with their skidoo antics.

Finally it was the end of winter and the game is tied. The ice is getting wet. The teams are frantic to finish this last game of the season.

Crack, CRack, CRAck, CRACk, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK.

The sounds are getting louder as the ice on the river starts breaking up. The rink breaks loose and starts floating away. The players dont notice because they are intent on winning their game.

The parents are running along the river side telling the players to STOP, STOP, STOP. Noone hears them. Then Ciara's mother yells and points to the bridge.

Get to the bridge. we can stop them there. So all the parents drive to the bridge that croses the river. The parents hang off the bridge sides and they all grab their kids as the rink floats past under the bridge. All except Ciara. She is heading for the goal net and she is determined to win at least one game this season.

Ciara's father grabbs his fishing rod from the car and casts a hook way way way down the river. He catches Ciara just as she scored. "We win" yell Ciara's team and all the moms and dads faint.

Then they all go up to the restaurant and have some hot chocolate while Ciara designs the rink for next year.