Akim Aliu: Dreamer
- Downloads：1999
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-07 07:19:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Karen De La Vega
- ISBN：1338787608
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sheila Bracken
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tAnyone who watches hockey knows that not many people of color play the sport。 Akim was one of the exceptions。 Born in Nigeria to a black father and white Ukranian mother， Akim did not experience hockey until he moved with his family to Canada from Russia。 His parents were looking for a place where their children could have the opportunity to succeed and prosper in life。 Though success and prosperity did come， they were not attained easily。 In fact， Akim’s road was fraught with pain and sufferin tAnyone who watches hockey knows that not many people of color play the sport。 Akim was one of the exceptions。 Born in Nigeria to a black father and white Ukranian mother， Akim did not experience hockey until he moved with his family to Canada from Russia。 His parents were looking for a place where their children could have the opportunity to succeed and prosper in life。 Though success and prosperity did come， they were not attained easily。 In fact， Akim’s road was fraught with pain and suffering first from bullying because he did not speak English， and then taunting and physical abuse due to the color of his skin。 His story is a true testament to the fact that some people are made to stand up to adversity while others around them crumble。 They live out their dreams and then help others set and achieve goals of their own。I was saddened to hear of the abuses， some of the worst were inflicted by his teammates and coaches。 Even those who did not participate directly in the physical or verbal attacks are guilty of being bystanders， which is just as bad。 Akim has found new ways to fight back。 Now he helps young people who might not otherwise be able to participate in hockey get what they need be it lessons or gear。 He also works to make sure the kids of today won’t have to face the abuses he did by holding those in positions of power accountable for their words and actions。 If he gets his way， discrimination based on race will no longer be tolerated in the sport of hockey。 tA new craft move I noticed in this graphic memoir is the blurring out of profanity and racial slurs。 I’ve seen strikethroughs and redacting， but the blurring allows the writer the shock value without being overly offensive。 3 。。。more
Nicole Del
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Amazing story and the illustrations were beautiful。 Only complaint was sometimes I was confused by older narrator in the same comic strip as younger
Sarah
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If you're a hockey person， you know Aliu's story of the racism and abuse he faced from the very moment he first laced up。 This graphic novel delves into Aliu's early life in Ukraine， and all the sacrifices his family made to eventually get to Canada， before covering the more familiar story of juniors and professional hockey。 There are some times where the narrative flashes forward for a page without any real indication that that's what happened， which can be confusing。 But the character design/a If you're a hockey person， you know Aliu's story of the racism and abuse he faced from the very moment he first laced up。 This graphic novel delves into Aliu's early life in Ukraine， and all the sacrifices his family made to eventually get to Canada， before covering the more familiar story of juniors and professional hockey。 There are some times where the narrative flashes forward for a page without any real indication that that's what happened， which can be confusing。 But the character design/artwork is cute （I'll forgive them for not putting the face shields or visors on all of the players' helmets） and I think the story is accessible to people outside of the hockey world。Probably more of a 3-3。5 star but I'm giving it the "this subject matter is really important" bump。 。。。more
Vanessa
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Important information！ But poor framework。 The time skips and 4th wall breaking regularly left me confused。 I think they could have worked， if they'd been used in a more consistent style？ Illustrations and colors were just ok。 Important information！ But poor framework。 The time skips and 4th wall breaking regularly left me confused。 I think they could have worked， if they'd been used in a more consistent style？ Illustrations and colors were just ok。 。。。more
Ashley
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Very insightful， and great style of drawings that aligns with Telgemeier appeal。 Kids will pick this attractive book up， and enjoy it。
Jennifer
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I'm really glad this book exists。 Aliu's story is incredibly compelling， and even though I'd already read a lot about the racism and hazing he faced and the creation of the HDA， Dreamer taught me a lot more about his upbringing and path into the hockey world。 That said， I'm not sure this is 100% successful as a graphic novel。 The art is expressive， but lacking in background detail， and the device of an older Akim breaking the fourth wall to talk to the reader from the page isn't always achieved I'm really glad this book exists。 Aliu's story is incredibly compelling， and even though I'd already read a lot about the racism and hazing he faced and the creation of the HDA， Dreamer taught me a lot more about his upbringing and path into the hockey world。 That said， I'm not sure this is 100% successful as a graphic novel。 The art is expressive， but lacking in background detail， and the device of an older Akim breaking the fourth wall to talk to the reader from the page isn't always achieved clearly or effectively。 I'm also not totally sure who the intended audience is。 The voice shifts from a conversational style that feels like Aliu's voice to a very stripped-down， easy-to-read style that seems aimed as kids， but then it shifts again to big infodump sections that might be hard for children to understand。 I found myself wishing the book had chosen one voice and stuck with it。I waffled between three and four stars， and ultimately went with four because the content is so important， but I wish there'd been a stronger editorial hand at work。 。。。more
Summer
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3。5 Stars。 This probably should have started with chapter two， chapter one is basically fragments/teasers of what’s to come in Akim Aliu’s story， so kind of unnecessary and potentially confusing。 Chapter two onward offers much more clarity and for the most part unfolds chronologically。 I was most engaged with the first half of this graphic novel， it was really interesting to learn about Akim’s parents， his grandfather， how race affected their interracial family as they lived in Europe， Africa， a 3。5 Stars。 This probably should have started with chapter two， chapter one is basically fragments/teasers of what’s to come in Akim Aliu’s story， so kind of unnecessary and potentially confusing。 Chapter two onward offers much more clarity and for the most part unfolds chronologically。 I was most engaged with the first half of this graphic novel， it was really interesting to learn about Akim’s parents， his grandfather， how race affected their interracial family as they lived in Europe， Africa， and Canada。 I also liked that once in awhile the fourth wall is broken adding a bit of personality and occasional humor to a story that’s otherwise centered on serious subject matter。 The hockey portion was a little too familiar for me as it covered precisely the same ground as Aliu’s essay， various interviews， documentary appearances， etc。 I guess I was hoping that in addition to those pivotal moments this would expand a bit more on his life in and out of hockey， maybe dig more into the day to day of continuing in a sport that wasn’t welcoming， more on what kept him going， maybe see a few more moments of the joy he hopefully experienced in the game， and show more of phasing out of being a player and into advocacy， how emotionally tricky that transition may have been for him， instead this pretty much delivered the same information/moments already discussed in other mediums， just this one has illustrations。 I always think of a book as a vehicle to delve deeper than an article or a short television interview is able to go， so it was slightly disappointing that this didn’t do that quite as often as maybe it could have， but this would still be a good place to start for those who are less aware of Akim Aliu’s story and to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing diverse athletes in a sport that proclaims to be “for everyone” but sadly continues to fall short of that motto。 。。。more
Avery Cordingley
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A raw， emotional look at Akim Aliu's journey through life and through competitive junior hockey in Canada。 It sheds much needed light into the darkest corners of hockey that so many people want to sweep under the rug， leaving so many talented hockey players in the lurch。 Hockey should be for everyone， but we all know it's not （even if the privilege won't always acknowledge that） but stories like Aliu's are helping to build the steps that we need to get the game where it needs to go。 A raw， emotional look at Akim Aliu's journey through life and through competitive junior hockey in Canada。 It sheds much needed light into the darkest corners of hockey that so many people want to sweep under the rug， leaving so many talented hockey players in the lurch。 Hockey should be for everyone， but we all know it's not （even if the privilege won't always acknowledge that） but stories like Aliu's are helping to build the steps that we need to get the game where it needs to go。 。。。more
Libby
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With the help of co-author Greg Anderson Elysee and illustrator Karen de la Vega， Akim Aliu retells the story of his childhood， going back to when his white Ukranian mother and black Nigerian father fell in love in Ukraine。 After the family immigrates to Canada， Aliu falls in love with hockey and perseveres through discrimination and overt racism to eventually play in the NHL， where he eventually speaks out publicly about his experiences。 What I really appreciated was through it all， he stayed c With the help of co-author Greg Anderson Elysee and illustrator Karen de la Vega， Akim Aliu retells the story of his childhood， going back to when his white Ukranian mother and black Nigerian father fell in love in Ukraine。 After the family immigrates to Canada， Aliu falls in love with hockey and perseveres through discrimination and overt racism to eventually play in the NHL， where he eventually speaks out publicly about his experiences。 What I really appreciated was through it all， he stayed close to his family， who sacrificed to see him reach a goal that seemed unattainable。 Because of some language （blacked out but obvious） and some violent incidents， although the publisher says this if for 8-12 year olds， I think it's aimed more for ages 10+。 Hockey fans will love this heartfelt and needed story。 。。。more
TheNextGenLibrarian
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An honest portrayal of systemic racism in the world of hockey as told by @dreamer_aliu78 in this graphic novel memoir。🏒 Akim Aliu was raised as a Black child in Ukraine where is white mother lived。 His Nigerian father had to go back to his home to finish school and work， leaving his young children and wife behind。 Eventually the family moves to Canada where Akim falls in love with hockey。 Despite the price his parents finally relent and let him play。 Akim has major skills that move him up throug An honest portrayal of systemic racism in the world of hockey as told by @dreamer_aliu78 in this graphic novel memoir。🏒 Akim Aliu was raised as a Black child in Ukraine where is white mother lived。 His Nigerian father had to go back to his home to finish school and work， leaving his young children and wife behind。 Eventually the family moves to Canada where Akim falls in love with hockey。 Despite the price his parents finally relent and let him play。 Akim has major skills that move him up through the ranks quickly， eventually being drafted in the second round to the Chicago Blackhawks， but his entire career he is hazed， cursed at and encounters racism in all forms。 Akim and six other athletes form the creation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance in 2020。 This story shows us to never stop dreaming。⛸️Wow！ What a powerful and moving MG graphic novel by @graphixbooks that I can’t wait to share with students。 Thank you for sharing your story with the world。 I learned so much by reading it and believe we still have much work to do in professional sports so that everyone knows racism has no place there or anywhere。CW: racism， hazing， blood， hospitalization， bullying， violence 。。。more
Alex （Pucksandpaperbacks）
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CW: racial slurs & swear words （on page， but are scribbled out）， racism， hazing， racial microagressions， violence and blood （on-page）， colorism， and emotional abuse This was incredible。 It's a short， fast-paced yet impactful read about NHL player， Akim Aliu and his life leading up to creating the Hockey Diversity Alliance。 It feels like this book was written to promote the HDA which is good but I do wish it had a little more joyful moments amist the trauma Aliu went through。 I really enjoyed ho CW: racial slurs & swear words （on page， but are scribbled out）， racism， hazing， racial microagressions， violence and blood （on-page）， colorism， and emotional abuse This was incredible。 It's a short， fast-paced yet impactful read about NHL player， Akim Aliu and his life leading up to creating the Hockey Diversity Alliance。 It feels like this book was written to promote the HDA which is good but I do wish it had a little more joyful moments amist the trauma Aliu went through。 I really enjoyed how his story didn't shy away from the truth and exposed the racist players and coaches， hazing， and the racism he experienced in the league from childhood to the age of 20-years-old。 This book will piss you off but in the right way。 The way the NHL and any pro hockey league since the dawn of time has excused their racist players and coaches while shunning the players that speak out， Aliu exposes that here。 I didn't know Aliu much prior to reading this and knowing his involvement in the HDA but now after reading "Dreamer"， I know more about his life from living in Nigeria to Ukraine then Canada。 I also like how they broke the fourth wall showing Akim as an adult following himself as a child。 The book also mentioned facts about the NHL draft and living with a billet family。 As a long time hockey fan who knows a lot about the ins and outs of the sport， I was surprised to learn some new facts like how the coaches （in this case， it was the assistant coach） interview the billet family before selecting and pairing them with the player AND they play in the OHL from 16-20 years old。 Favorite Quotes: 。。The cold air on your face。。。 like the feeling of facing reality for the first time。 Like facing the fact that you were an outsider within a world or community you loved so dang much。 So dang much that you had to fight against， and endure hate and bigotry - years of racism just to keep on following your dreams， just to be happy。。。 or to make a better place for the next ones following in your footsteps。。。This is that story。。。about perseverance and following your dream against all odds。 "You know what I think is amusing？ The NHL's title for their annual diversity campaign， "Hockey is for Everyone。" Makes me crack up。 Because right now hockey is not for everyone。 I learned that when I was sixteen。" 。。。more
Meg GlitteryOtters
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3。5 stars。 Art and layout are a 4。5 and the general story would be a 4 if it was better organized and more was explained/summarized as I had a little trouble following some aspects and I already know his story， so i would rate the story as more like a 2。5， maybe a 3。 It feels like it was written as a longer story and lost some clarity in the multiple cuts made in editing before finalizing the text。 Also， there were errors that shouldn’t have made the final cut and should have been caught which r 3。5 stars。 Art and layout are a 4。5 and the general story would be a 4 if it was better organized and more was explained/summarized as I had a little trouble following some aspects and I already know his story， so i would rate the story as more like a 2。5， maybe a 3。 It feels like it was written as a longer story and lost some clarity in the multiple cuts made in editing before finalizing the text。 Also， there were errors that shouldn’t have made the final cut and should have been caught which really took me out of the story （for example， he played youth hockey in the Toronto area and was drafted into the OHL by， as the text says， “Windsor Spitfires of Toronto which was four hours drive away”…Windsor Spitfires are in Windsor， Ontario， which is far from Toronto。 Obviously they meant Windsor， *Ontario*。）。 Worth a read if you like hockey， graphic novels and diversity but I’d suggest familiarizing yourself with his story first or you might get a little confused or lost and it’s a story well worth knowing。 。。。more
Jaclyn Hillis
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“In Canada， skating is the language everyone can speak。 You do a crossover， or score a goal， and all of a sudden you’re approachable。 You’re one of them。 I felt that。 And it felt nice。”Akim Aliu is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player who experienced systemic racism at every turn。 From being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community， to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto， this book highlights his adolescent years through his hockey career。 I “In Canada， skating is the language everyone can speak。 You do a crossover， or score a goal， and all of a sudden you’re approachable。 You’re one of them。 I felt that。 And it felt nice。”Akim Aliu is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player who experienced systemic racism at every turn。 From being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community， to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto， this book highlights his adolescent years through his hockey career。 I saw someone else’s review that said， “I’m not sure my students will know who this is，” and all I could think was， “isn’t that the point？” I didn’t know who Akim Aliu was either， but I’m a sucker for memoirs and athletics， so it was an automatic purchase for me。 This graphic novel is targeted at younger readers， and it’s so important for kids to see themselves reflected in the books they read。 His message is an important one， too。 Secondary to Akim’s story， I loved his parents love story so much。 Their story would make a fantastic romance novel， just saying。 As a family， they faced so much adversity， and it was truly inspiring to see them come out on top。 I love that he’s helping make hockey more inclusive for all。 ———CW: racism， racial slurs， xenophobia， violence， hazing 。。。more
Jennifer Puggini
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I received this in exchange for a review。 It really opened my eyes that racism still happens and I am glad that Akim was able to start the HDA。 I do truly hope that there is more openess from everyone in the world of the NHL and everywhere else
hiaa123
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Dreamer is a beautifully illustrated and engaging graphic memoir about Akim Aliu。 I picked this up at work， not knowing any of Aliu's history and not being much of a hockey fan。 However， Aliu's history is fascinating and reading his story made me quite emotional。 It's heartbreaking to read about the level of racism he experienced。 But he kept on dreaming。 Dreamer is a beautifully illustrated and engaging graphic memoir about Akim Aliu。 I picked this up at work， not knowing any of Aliu's history and not being much of a hockey fan。 However， Aliu's history is fascinating and reading his story made me quite emotional。 It's heartbreaking to read about the level of racism he experienced。 But he kept on dreaming。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PluGreat to see a sports graphic novel， but I'm not sure my students will know who this is。 It also seems a bit more young adult。 Debating。 E ARC provided by Edelweiss PluGreat to see a sports graphic novel， but I'm not sure my students will know who this is。 It also seems a bit more young adult。 Debating。 。。。more
Jenn
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Honest and unflinching， this is a remarkable graphic novel about Akim's life and experiences moving up in the professional hockey league。 One worth recommending。 Honest and unflinching， this is a remarkable graphic novel about Akim's life and experiences moving up in the professional hockey league。 One worth recommending。 。。。more
Jamie O’Keith
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This book is a refreshing and thrilling ride into the journey of Akim， the dreamer。 The way this book is written， you feel like you’re sitting with the main character as he tells you his story and experiencing it with him。 Well fleshed out characters and backstories that share many touching， inspiring and uplifting moments from his family members and friends。 Even seeing the main character go through so many challenges throughout his adolescence to his adult years， it shows what can be accomplis This book is a refreshing and thrilling ride into the journey of Akim， the dreamer。 The way this book is written， you feel like you’re sitting with the main character as he tells you his story and experiencing it with him。 Well fleshed out characters and backstories that share many touching， inspiring and uplifting moments from his family members and friends。 Even seeing the main character go through so many challenges throughout his adolescence to his adult years， it shows what can be accomplished with determination， hope and being surrounded by love and positivity through how negative and hurtful the world can be。 This story will leave you inspired。 Some moments made me feel upset， or concerned as I should be in certain events that occurred， but also relieved in other moments because of how well the story was written。 This ties in on how well it was illustrated。 The illustrations by Karen De La Vega are beautifully done。 It is one of its many strengths as it sets the tone in the different stages of the characters life and to pull you into the emotions the characters are feeling and sympathize or feel excited for or with them。 Some of the physical moments in the story had me drop my jaws。 The color choices and the scenery truly sets the tone from page to page。 The careful details of each character’s look， fashion in different time eras， hair styles， and stances helps tell the story clearly and beautifully。 Every moment of action in Dreamer is engaging， like watching a live sports event。 Another thing about this story is its transparency about life。 You learn that things will not always go as planned or how you would want it， but the lessons through it all are well worth it and it can help elevate your life based on how you respond to those changes。 To break it down even further from the message that I have gotten out of it， Dreamer is about choices。 The choices you make affect you and those around you。 As a parent， you want the best for your kids and support their dreams and you will never know how far that love and support will take them。 The choice of sacrifice can bring even greater results。 The choice to dream and pursue your dream can change your whole life and there is so much that comes with the territory that will bring joy， doubt， fear， success， controversy and various other kinds of emotions and challenges。 Choosing to fight through it all， you learn your dream is bigger than you。 Life is a gift， you are a gift to share in some capacity。 Let your choices be the reason your life is changed for the better and possibly for others as well。Dreamer is worth multiple reads and can start many great discussions in classrooms， podcasts and homes based on the subjects in this story。 It shows how to turn lemons into delicious， sweet， ice cold lemonade。 Finding your voice and showing what being a great human is all about。 I loved it！ This is a 5 out of 5 rating for me。 I hope you take the time to buy this book for yourself and gift someone with it as well。 。。。more
Erika
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Rounding up to 4。 I’m confused why his parents would continue to allow him to face this sort of racism。 Why couldn’t they find community for this child？
Mrs Heidrich
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Thanks to Edelweiss for the digital review copy。This is an important look at Akim Aliu's experience playing hockey and the challenges he faced in being a person of colour。 It's a very real look at the overt racism he faced at many levels of hockey and how he persevered。 His experience led to the creation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance to try and create more hockey experiences for a diverse generation of kids and to inspire them and break down barriers to play。 Inspirational and an important st Thanks to Edelweiss for the digital review copy。This is an important look at Akim Aliu's experience playing hockey and the challenges he faced in being a person of colour。 It's a very real look at the overt racism he faced at many levels of hockey and how he persevered。 His experience led to the creation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance to try and create more hockey experiences for a diverse generation of kids and to inspire them and break down barriers to play。 Inspirational and an important story！The graphic novel format will really appeal to a wide range of kids and the illustrations are fantastic。 。。。more
Tiffany
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Add me on BookTok here: https://www。tiktok。com/@blissandbooksBook provided by publisher in exchange for an honest reviewDREAMER is a graphic novel memoir by Akim Aliu a Black man who pursued hockey as a career。 Aliu’s story begins with his parent’s meeting and falling in love in Ukraine。 As an interracial couple， they faced racism and bigotry from the community and even from Aliu’s maternal grandfather。 After emigrating to Canada， Aliu falls in love with hockey but when he begins to play faces r Add me on BookTok here: https://www。tiktok。com/@blissandbooksBook provided by publisher in exchange for an honest reviewDREAMER is a graphic novel memoir by Akim Aliu a Black man who pursued hockey as a career。 Aliu’s story begins with his parent’s meeting and falling in love in Ukraine。 As an interracial couple， they faced racism and bigotry from the community and even from Aliu’s maternal grandfather。 After emigrating to Canada， Aliu falls in love with hockey but when he begins to play faces racism from the most unlikely places- his teammates。Despite Aliu’s hard work ethic and skill playing hockey， that didn’t matter to the sociopaths he came across like a former player who knocked out his teeth with a hockey stick or a head coach in the NHL that repeatedly used the n-word towards him。 Aliu perseveres but ultimately speaks out about his experiences in Canada shined a bright light on the disgusting way people of color are treated in the league。One fascinating aspect of DREAMER is the story of Aliu’s parents which would be an excellent stand-alone book in itself！ Aliu is the son of a Ukrainian woman and an African man， who chose to be together despite the bigotry they experienced even before they were married。 Aliu notes that even his maternal grandfather refused to acknowledge his brother Edward until the baby was placed on his lap and he had that familial connection to his grandson that he couldn’t ignore。DREAMER is an enthralling memoir， one that looks at both the highs and lows of playing hockey as a person of color。 Aliu is unflinching in describing the racism he experienced even calling out two former NHL people， a coach and a player for using the most disgusting terms toward him。 It’s important to bear witness to his story as there are still Black players in the NHL that face these types of ignorance every game whether it be fellow players or fans。 One interesting thing to mention is the racism that Aliu experiences is consistent no matter what country he lives or plays in showing that the prevalence of bigotry isn’t solely in the United States。 Most countries have adopted bigotry towards Black people despite not participating in the slave trade。 The art is well done in DREAMER showing the progression of Aliu through his childhood to adulthood with consistent coloring。 I did like that any curse words or the n-word is shown scratched out but readers will get the gist that whatever words hurled toward Aliu are hurtful。DREAMER is an important novel that educates and inspires and I’m excited to see what Kaepernick Publishing and Scholastic release next！ DREAMER releases in February 2023！ 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss。
tpg0
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I'm sorry， as an AI language model， I cannot provide a personal opinion， but I can give you some information about the book。 "Akim Aliu: Dreamer" is a memoir written by Akim Aliu， a former professional ice hockey player。 In this book， he shares his journey of overcoming racism， abuse， and discrimination in the sport of hockey。 He reflects on his childhood in Nigeria， his unsupportive father， his experiences playing junior hockey in Canada， and his eventual rise to the NHL。 The book sheds light on systemic racism in hockey and the importance of diversity and inclusion in sports。 Overall， this book is a compelling and insightful read for anyone interested in the sports industry， social justice issues， and personal development。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I cannot make a personal opinion。 However， "Akim Aliu: Dreamer" is a book that chronicles the life of Akim Aliu， a former NHL player， and his journey to pursue his hockey dreams while overcoming racism and discrimination in the sport。 The book sheds light on Aliu's experiences as a Black player in a predominantly white sport， his battles with mental health issues， and his advocacy work for diversity and inclusion in hockey。 The book has received positive reviews for its inspiring message and powerful storytelling。
tpg2
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