This coming-of-age novel follows a struggling Anishinaabe teen finding confidence through martial arts mentorship. The story centers on overcoming self-doubt, teasing, and family challenges with respect and discipline. Content is mild overall, making it appropriate for middle-to-early-high-school readers seeking positive role models and cultural representation.
Fatherless Cody LeBeau is an American Indian boy who is starting high school with the usual trepidation. He fits into none of the cliques at the new school, but somehow keeps being noticed anyway—and is often teased because of his tendency to stutter. Then his Uncle Pat, an accomplished martial arts sensei, moves into...Fatherless Cody LeBeau is an American Indian boy who is starting high school with the usual trepidation. He fits into none of the cliques at the new school, but somehow keeps being noticed anyway—and is often teased because of his tendency to stutter. Then his Uncle Pat, an accomplished martial arts sensei, moves into the town and becomes the one who shows Cody "the way" through the maze of adolescent doubt and into manhood.
