Hockey Moms Aren’t Crazy by Jody M. Anderson (Author) and Scott Rolfs (Illustrator) – Hockey Moms… if we can’t laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at? (Besides Soccer Moms!) This funny book pays tribute to Hockey Moms everywhere with hilarious illustrations, jokes and stories – including short funny stories from Hockey Moms and hockey greats, like Mike Eruzione! Finally, a hockey book that gives us the credit we deserve! (Well, okay, our kids deserve a little credit, too.

Hockey Moms Aren’t Crazy: The Coloring Book by Jody M. Anderson (Author) and Scott Rolfs (Illustrator) – Hockey Moms ARE Crazy… About Coloring! Hockey Moms… We love our kids. We love hockey. We love to laugh. But when it comes time to relax, to reduce stress, and to enjoy some quiet time, we find peace in coloring. Of course, not just any coloring book will do. Even our creative time needs to be about hockey!

By popular demand, this coloring book collects 21 of your favorite cartoon gags from Jody M. Anderson’s Hockey Moms Aren’t Crazy! Plus, you’ll find four new illustrations from artist Scott Rolfs that you’ve never seen before. Every illustration is on a one-sided page, so you can force your children to hang your artistic creations in their lockers.

Inside You’ll Find

• 25 illustrations to color
• hilarious captions
• one-sided pages

The Rookie Hockey Mom: How to Play the Game’s Toughest Position by Melissa Walsh – There are over a million hockey moms in the United States and Canada, many of whom have jumped in without full awareness of how much time the sport requires, how much it costs, and how it is played. Here, in a book for that intrepid bunch, veteran hockey mom of four Melissa Walsh, who also coaches and plays recreational hockey, takes mothers by the glove through every aspect of the youth hockey journey.

Moms who think icing is for cakes and boards are for college will be saved embarrassing moments around the rink as Walsh educates them on the history, rules, etiquette, lingo, and officiating signals of a sport that is new to many parents. Chapters also cover purchasing and caring for equipment, tips on safety, development levels and guidelines, and advice for cooperating with coaches and other hockey parents. There’s great insight into connecting with youth hockey players, managing a team, choosing a league, and fueling young skaters with good nutrition. Salted with quotes from hockey players and moms who’ve been there and loaded with the wisdom that only a real hockey mom can offer, The Rookie Hockey Mom is a must for hockey-crazy families and the women who drive them everywhere. Updated for USA Hockey’s 2011-12 game rules for “progressive checking skill development.”

Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom by Angie Abdou – The author of the Canada Reads–nominated The Bone Cage tackles the ups and downs of amateur hockey, from a mother’s point of view. Over 570,000 people are registered in Hockey Canada and over 600,000 in Hockey USA. It’s a national obsession. But what does that really mean when your child wants to play on a team? As a former varsity athlete and university instructor teaching sport literature, novelist Angie Abdou is no stranger to sport obsession, but she finds herself conflicted when faced with the reality of the struggles, joys, and strains of having a child in amateur hockey. In Home Ice, with equal parts humour and anguish, Abdou charts a full season of life as an Atom-level hockey mom, from summer hockey camp to the end-of-season tournament. Her revealing stories and careful research on issues such as cost, gender bias, concussion, and family pressures offer a compellingly honest and complex insider’s view of parenting today’s young athlete in a competitive and high-pressure culture.

Hockey Moms: Realities from the Rink: Introducing 20 Women You Already Know by Julie Bertuzzi (Author), Anthony Jenkins (Illustrator) – Julie Bertuzzi, the wife of NHL player Todd Bertuzzi and Hockey Mom extraordinaire, presents us with twenty hilarious portraits of the Hockey Moms we know and love. The perfect gift book for all seasons.

Straight-shooting, observant, and uproarious, Julie Bertuzzi’s Hockey Moms is an irreverent look at the many kinds of moms you are sure to find in the ice rinks, on the road, and in the hotel bars at tournaments across this hockey-loving continent. While always applauding the dedication of moms who support their players — at early morning practices and on long drives to and from tournaments, in the triumph of a big win and the heartache of a big loss — Bertuzzi pokes fun at herself and her fellow Hockey Moms, and brings alive the many characters she has observed during her years of experience as a Hockey Mom herself. Whether it’s Big Mouth Betty shrieking from the stands, the Drama Queen stirring up trouble in the bar after a tournament game, Team Manager Mom with her clipboard and team jacket, the Yodeler, or the Leaner, readers will recognize and delight in these familiar profiles. This is a quick, funny read and a must-have book for Hockey Moms, and those who love them, everywhere.

Lessons from Behind the Glass: The Journey of a Hockey Mom by Allyson Tufts – Whether you are about to lace up your child’s skates for the first time, or you have a young teen who is coming to the end of his or her Minor Hockey career, Lessons from Behind the Glass is the perfect companion to help you through your most crazy moments in the stands. From politics to perspective to passion, this book will help guide you to a balanced and less stressful life in the arena…and keep you laughing along the way!

My Kids Play Hockey: Essential Advice for Every Hockey Parent by  Christie Casciano Burns – For the past several years veteran hockey mom Christie Casciano’s monthly Hockey Mom columns have been required reading for the half million readers of USA Hockey Magazine. Drawing on her twenty years in the youth hockey trenches, she brings a wit and wisdom that comes with spending countless hours in the rink. Mixing in a little cutting humor and some good old-fashioned motherly advice, her articles speak to and for grizzled veterans and newcomers to the sport alike.

My Kids Play Hockey is a compilation of Christie’s work. Some of her topics include:

• Back to School, Back to Hockey: Getting Ready for a Fresh Season
• How to Act Like an Adult at a Youth Hockey Game
• Organizing Your Hockey Household
• Valuable Lessons Learned during a Losing Season
• Striking a Balance between being Coach and a Parent

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey: 101 Stories about the Players Who Love the Game and the Families that Cheer Them On by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Laura Robinson –  You’ll love these inside looks at your favorite NHL players and personalities, the biggest games in hockey history, and all the everyday joys of your favorite sport! Meet the real Mark Messier—coaching kids in his hometown. Travel through the years with famous hockey sportscaster Brian McFarlane. Read about the kindness of Bobby Orr and a personal look at Mario Lemieux.

And in addition to all the stories by and about NHLers, you’ll read stories by fans and everyday players about big games and big plays; backyard rinks, pond hockey, and shinny games; growing up loving the game; and growing to love the game! You’ll also find inspiring stories by NHLers and Olympians about dedication, dreams, and drive, including:

• Former NHL player Georges Laraque, “the gentle tough guy,” on how he persevered against racism to play the game he loves
• Olympian Cassie Campbell-Pascall on how losing the gold medal at the first ever women’s hockey Olympic game made her and the team better, winning gold the next time
• NHL player Vinny Prospal on how believing in himself and working hard pushed him through the minors into the pros, making his former GM “eat his shoes”
• Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser on challenging herself by playing on a Finnish male team and inspiring another young female hockey player to be a star
• NHL player Matt Duchene on his parents’ support and the sacrifices that helped him reach the NHL
• Former NHL player Ryan Walter on the lifelong lessons he learned during his rookie season

The Hockey Mom’s Manual: What SportsMom Thinks You’d Like to Know by Laurel Phillips and Barbara Stahl – So, you thought that youth hockey would only impact your child’s life. Yep, we thought that too. Help is here! The Hockey Mom’s Manual spells out what you need to know about your child’s sports experience, including:
* the time, money, and equipment it takes
* which rules may trigger controversy
* the care and feeding of young athletes
* the behavior that’s expected (yours), and
* what’s ahead as your child gets older

Written for moms by moms, this handy how-to is a “heads-up” that can make your child’s hockey experience a better one for your athlete, your family, and you.

Fueling Young Athletes by Heather Mangieri – Young athletes are always on the go. School, family, and sports eat up a lot of time. For parents and coaches, it can be a challenge to make sure kids are eating healthfully enough to perform at their best on and off the field. Fueling Young Athletes provides the help you need.

In this practical guide, Heather Mangieri—a sport dietitian and mother of three active kids—breaks down the nutrition needs of young athletes and explains what the latest research suggests. You’ll analyze current eating habits and preferences and how and where these can be improved. You’ll learn how healthier meals and snacks can equate to improved performance while still being convenient and appetizing.

Fueling Young Athletes addresses the issues that families and athletes most often face, such as late-night practices, inconvenient school lunchtimes, demanding tournament schedules and travel leagues, and lack of sleep. Best of all, you’ll find a collection of easy recipes for smoothies and sport drinks, all with common ingredients and nutrition information.

Conclusion

I hope you agree that these books will make terrific gifts for hockey moms. Do you have a book to add to the list? Have you read any of these? Share your thoughts in the comments.