My name is David Skuy, author of the Charlie Joyce Sports Series. The first book in the series is called Off The Crossbar. I am a lawyer and writer, living in Toronto, with my wife and two kids. Dig a little deeper (and not much), and you find an unabashed Toronto Maple Leaf's fan. Go even deeper, same thing - basically a Leaf fan to the core. I think that covers it.

Most of my childhood was spent playing some sport or another - hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and a few others. I kept hard at it until the body broke down, which was officially in 1987, when two bad ankles could no longer stand up to the rigours of the rugby pitch. If some all-powerful being offered to take away all the injuries - the back, the knee, the heel, the elbow - on condition I never played sports as a kid, I would graciously decline. You only have one chance at the halcyon days, and you may as well take it. Sports over 35 are good and well - nice, cute little hobby. But nothing matches the intensity, the competitiveness, the sheer enjoyment of playing a sport you love when you're young.

That's the passion, the competitive spirit that I brought to my new novel, Off the Crossbar, and to the Charlie Joyce Sports Series. This is a book for kids who love sports. I believe it captures what makes sports and kids such a magical combination - the competition, the challenges, the friendships, the rivalries. I hope your children enjoy reading it.