I’ve been making a list of my 10 picks for the Canada’s 100 Greatest Books project.

Can’t believe I almost forgot this one: The Hockey Sweater, by Roch Carrier. It’s actually a children’s picture book, but it belongs near the top of my list because of the smiles it gives me.

Here’s Roch Carrier reading The Hockey Sweater, as archived on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s site. You’ll need to listen closely to understand his French accent, and it’s a bit long, but if you’re not familiar with the story, you’ll get a glimpse of times past…and some chuckles. Keep listening for the punch line, then for an interview with Roch and a story written by Peter Gzowski in response to The Hockey Sweater.

To get involved in the Canada’s 100 Greatest Books project, go to the submissions page, or find it on Facebook.

A summary of the rules:

The criterion is simple; only works of fiction and non-fiction written by Canadian authors and that involve Canada in some capacity will be accepted.