This honest, engrossing graphic memoir tells the story of professional athlete and activist Akim Aliu’s incredible life as a hockey prodigy in Canada. Akim Aliu — also known as “Dreamer” — is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim’s incredible story, from being the only black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. This is a gut-wrenching and riveting graphic novel memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.

To young ice-hockey fans, especially those of color, Akim Aliu became a role model when he was drafted into the National Hockey League as a teenager and played for the Calgary Flames. Born of a Nigerian father and Ukrainian mother, and moving to Canada as a youngster who spoke not a word of English, he suffered much discrimination in life. (When he was born, his mother’s father declared, “I’m not touching a black baby” – although he later relented and became a beloved grandfather.)

This graphic novel is Akim’s first-person story, about the discrimination, violence, hazing and abuse he faced both on and off the ice, for most of his life. It’s about how fellow players failed to stand up to the ones who bullied him, and how coaches and officials turned a blind eye or worse. It’s also about his parents’ unwavering support, and the occasional person who befriended or supported him.

The graphics are highly professional (and don’t shy away from the gushing blood in fights), especially in depicting teammates’ shying away from getting involved when he was being harassed. But sometimes the novel feels like it was written less for middle-graders than as a love letter to his parents, an angry fist shaking at hockey brass who failed him – and adults who might donate money to his Hockey Diversity Alliance. Much of the latter part of the book is about his adult activism.

Even so, preteens who are immigrants or racialized will relate to his difficult ride, and hopefully others will become more empathetic and inclined to get involved when a fellow student suffers discrimination. It certainly contributes to the lack of books on immigrants, blacks, racism and harassment in sports.

-Pam Withers