Bruchac, Joseph The Way
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-58196-062-4 Price: 16.95 #of pgs: 156
Call number: FIC BRU
Annotation: One TP (trailer park) after another, Cody LeBeau remains unpopular and teased, often retreating into a fantasy world where he is always the unsung, no super-powers, martial art yielding hero. Long River High School seems to be no different, as Cody endures more torture at the hands of the jocks. To Cody’s shock, he is greeted one afternoon at home by his mother and a stranger that she introduces as Uncle John, her brother. John has come to stay with the LeBeaus while he trains for an Ultimate Fight Contest being held at the local Native American owned casino. Uncle John begins to teach Cody about "The Way" – not necessarily of the fist or fighting but a way of life that helps bring Cody into himself as a practitioner of self-healing and self-awareness.
Strength: high interest for boys, Native Americans, and those who don't feel they "fit in", contemporary issues/school violence
Weakness: time passes very quickly in this book, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened in between and why Cody "picks up" so quickly
Cover Appeal: Teenage non-white male on the cover with a bear paw and yin/yang symbol