Inspired by the USA men’s hockey team’s thrilling overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game in the 2026 Olympics, Revere schoolteacher Antonio LeBruna has authored a children’s book, “Gold In Milan.”
“It’s been a long-time goal of mine,” said LaBruna. “For many years, I’ve always had some ideas for children’s books, and then after the United States won the gold against Canada, I thought this would be a cool story to tell.”
Labruna, 39, said writing and publishing a book was “a long process and I learned a lot, and it was extremely rewarding.”
He describes the book as being as a story about perseverance, teamwork, and overcoming adversity.
A brilliantly constructed 34-page story done in rhyme and with colorful illustrations (by Indonesian artist Setiawan) throughout the book, LaBruna writes about a young hockey player who faces some challenges, “but he learns that through determination and resilience you can achieve your goal.”
LaBruna, who is a health teacher at the Susan B. Anthony School and has worked in the district for 13 years, said the book’s intended audience is for children ages 4 through 8.
LaBruna and his wife, Jenna, also a Revere schoolteacher, are the parents fof three children, Vincenzo, 4, William, 3, and Vivian, two months.
“I read bedroom stories with Vincenzo and William every night, so we’ve added my book to the rotation,” said LaBruna, a graduate of Saugus High School and Salem State University.
Supt. of Revere Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly praised LaBruna for his new book and his dedication to the teaching profession.
“I congratulate Antonio on an incredible accomplishment,” said Kelly. “He’s always been a fantastic teacher, but the fact that he’s working outside of the classroom to still help students learn and grow their knowledge base, we’re very thankful to have him on our team.”
Revere teachers, family members, neighbors, and friends have offered their support of his new book. LaBruna said his wife was extremely supportive of the endeavor and his children were “thrilled to read the first copy.”
“Their daycare teacher read the book to the class, which was awesome,” said LaBruna
In a nifty, personalized gesture, LaBruna put the names of his two sons (Enzo, Will) and his two nephews (Andy and Lucas) on the back of the players’ jerseys in the book.
Youth hockey parents have engulfed the book as a truly inspiring message for their children.
“The feedback has been tremendous,” related LaBruna. “Right now, we have 21 reviews on Amazon, and it’s been awesome to read through those and see everyone’s reaction to my book. It’s heartwarming to see those reviews and photos of children reading the book – it makes it all worth it.”
LaBruna said he will be donating copies of the book to the Revere Public Library and Saugus Public Library. He hopes to host “Read Aloud” sessions during the new school year in conjunction with the NHL Boston Bruins and PWHL Boston Fleet seasons at educational events that would include crafts and prizes.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon for $12.99.