The Always Team
Your Nickel's Worth Publishing / 28 September 2011

The ALWAYS Team by Holly Preston, illustrated by Val Lawton Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Cindy Wilson $19.95 ISBN 978-1-894431-51-4 In The ALWAYS Team Holly Preston and Val Lawton bring to life the legacy of being a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan through the eyes and adventures of three small Regina boys. These mop-topped, likeable little guys (Rob, Stevie, and Brendan) love to play football. The problem is they are losing too many games. The meeting they call to correct this problem pivots on the idea of replacing each of them. The boys’ Gramps comes up with a better solution. Gramps takes the boys to a Roughrider home game where they meet their favourite player, tour the locker room, and ask many questions. At the game they see first-hand all the ideas and practices the Riders use to earn them the title of the ALWAYS team. As Gramps says, “they ALWAYS figure it out”. Watching the Riders play demonstrates to the boys the need for teamwork, to play with heart, and to always remember your fans, the 13th man. Throughout this easy to read, colourful story we see landmarks Val Lawton’s illustrations have filtered onto every page. We see…