Children's Fiction Native Canadian
The Kodiaks
Home Ice Advantage
- Publisher
- Portage & Main Press
- Initial publish date
- Apr 2024
- Category
- Native Canadian, Hockey, New Experience, Prejudice & Racism
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781774921012
- Publish Date
- Apr 2024
- List Price
- $12.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781774921029
- Publish Date
- May 2024
- List Price
- $10.00
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 9 to 12
- Grade: 4 to 6
Description
Hockey fans will love this action-packed middle grade novel about teamwork, overcoming adversity, and being proud of who you are and where you come from.
Everything is changing for 11-year-old Alex Robinson. After his father accepts a new job, Alex and his family move from their community to the city. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t fit in. His fellow students don’t understand Indigenous culture. Even a simple show of respect to his teacher gets him in trouble.
Things begin to look up after Alex tries out for a local hockey team. Playing for the Kodiaks, Alex proves himself as one of the best, but he becomes a target because he’s Indigenous. Can Alex trust his teammates and stand up to the jerks on other teams? Can he find a way to fit in and still be who he’s meant to be?
About the author
DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the winner of the Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award, the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer and the TWUC Freedom to Read Award. His books include The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga; When We Were Alone (winner of the Governor General’s Award, a finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and a McNally Robinson Best Book for Young People); Will I See? (winner of the Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Award, graphic novel category); and the YA novel Strangers (recipient of the Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction). He is the creator and host of the podcast Kiwew. Through his writings about Canada’s Indigenous peoples, Robertson educates as well as entertains, reflecting Indigenous cultures, histories and communities while illuminating many contemporary issues. David A. Robertson is a member of Norway House Cree Nation. He lives in Winnipeg.
Editorial Reviews
David A. Robertson's latest novel, The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage, addresses racism in minor hockey through the story of an indigenous hockey player named Alex. The book emphasizes education, community support, and redefining masculinity to combat discrimination and promote inclusivity in sports. Through Alex's journey, readers see the value of empathy, kindness, and understanding as essential qualities for athletes.
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