9-year-old Gabe (Gabriella) Murray lives and breathes hockey. She's the youngest player on her new team, she has a nifty move that her teammates call "the Gabe," and she shares a lucky number with her hero, Hayley Wickenheiser: number 22. But when her coach hands out the team jerseys, Gabe is stuck with number 9. Crushed, Gabe wants to give up hockey altogether. How can she play without her lucky number? Gabe's grandmother soon sets her straight, though--from her own connection to the number 9 in her hockey-playing days to all the greats she cheered for who wore it, she soon convinces Gabe that this new number might not be so bad after all.  A lovely intergenerational tale and a history of the storied number 9 in hockey, The Highest Number in the World is a must-have for any hockey fan. Gr 1–3—Nine-year-old Gabe has been selected for the best hockey team in town, and she is its youngest member. She wore her lucky number 22 jersey for tryouts, in honor of her hero, Hayley Wickenheiser, a Canadian Olympic star. Unfortunately, when the coach passes out the new jerseys, Gabe gets number nine, and she refuses to be on the team. Grandma Gabriella comes to the rescue later that night, telling her granddaughter how it was when she was young and played hockey. They didn't even allow girls on the team—she had to pretend she was a boy until she was caught. Back in her day, everyone, including Grandma, sported number nine because that's what the famous players wore. Gabe, of course, has a change of heart . The story may have the most meaning to children in Canada, but it could appeal to young hockey fanatics no matter where they live. Despres's gouache illustrations are light and simple. The warmth between the grandmother and granddaughter as well as Gabe's initial disappointment are shown clearly in their amusing expressions. Recommended as a secondary purchase.—Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA *Starred Review* Nine-year-old Gabe, chosen for the best hockey team in town, is desperate to wear number 22 on her jersey, just like her idol, Hayley Wickenheiser. After receiving number 9, she buries the jersey in her closet and sulks. That evening, Gabe’s no-nonsense grandma shows her an old black-and-white hockey-team photo of 11 boys and herself, disguised as a boy because girls were not allowed to play. Soon discovered and thrown off the team, she wore (as a fan) a number 9 jersey, like Maurice Rocket Richard or Gordie Howe. Grandma lists other outstanding players who wore the number, ending with Wayne Gretzky, who couldn’t get 9, so he chose 99. The story’s ending, in which Gabe dreams of her number 9 retired and raised to the rafters, is uplifting in every way. MacGregor’s writing packs an emotional punch without relying on sentimentality (when the coach hands her the disappointing jersey, Gabe’s heart felt as if a skate had just run across it). Expressive pencil drawings brightened with color washes perfectly capture the characters’ feelings. From the moment Grandma begins to share her past and her passion for hockey, the story’s context becomes broader, more complex, and more meaningful. A memorable, intergenerational picture book that’s perfect for sharing. Grades 1-3. --Carolyn Phelan “From the moment Grandma begins to share her past and her passion for hockey, the story’s context becomes broader, more complex, and more meaningful. A memorable, intergenerational picture book perfect for sharing.” — Booklist ROY MACGREGOR is the author of many hockey literature classics such as Home Team: Fathers, Sons and Hockey , Home Game , The 7 A.M Practice and the Screech Owls series. He was named a media inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, when he was given the Elmer Ferguson Award for excellence in hockey journalism. He has been involved in hockey all his life, from playing all-star hockey in Huntsville, Ontario, against the likes of Bobby Orr from nearby Parry Sound, to coaching, and he still plays hockey in Ottawa where he lives with his wife Ellen. They have four grown children. Roy was inspired to write The Highest Number in the World when his now grown-up daughter starting playing hockey as a young girl. His lucky number is 13. Geneviève Després completed a degree in Industrial Design at the Université de Montréal, but decided instead to pursue her first passion: drawing. She turned to illustration, and worked in the fields of educational publishing, advertising, editorial, and children's literature. She then spent a few years in Europe, where she looked for inspiration and explored different techniques. Since her return to Quebec she has illustrated many books for children, including Le petit chevalier qui n'aimait pas la pluie and La grève du bain . As a young girl, Geneviève was very athletic and always picked first for school yard games--even before the boys! She still plays sports whenever she gets the chance, including Ultimate Frisbee, and competes in triathlons. She didn'