Captain Skidmark Dances with Destiny

This laugh-out-loud middle-grade novel follows thirteen-year-old Will-- who hates hockey and loves dancing--as he navigates school, bullies, and his father’s expectations. Now in paperback!

Will is a Canadian eighth grader who hates hockey--and he stinks at it, too. Will is bullied at school, doesn’t have any friends, and is generally miserable.

When Will’s seventeen-year-old hockey-star cousin, Alex, arrives to stay with Will’s family, Will and Alex quickly realize they can’t stand each other. Then Will stumbles into a local dance school. He fights the urge to cha-cha, but he’s good! When Will’s dad finds out about the dancing, he basically forbids it. And Alex’s dad refuses to listen to what Alex wants to do with his life.

Will takes readers on a journey through noogies, awkward conversations, and epic farts. He worries, dances, and makes messes. Filled with humor, nuance, and emotion, this novel asks what makes a family and what makes a man.

Jennifer A. Irwin holds a master’s degree in English literature, as well as a bachelor’s in education from McGill University. She teaches middle and senior school English at Lower Canada College. She lives in Montreal, Quebec, with her husband and two sons. Captain Skidmark Dances with Destiny is her first novel.