Little Brother of War
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Sixteen year old Mississippi Choctaw Randy Cheska lived most of his young life in the shadow of his older football-hero brother, Jack. After Jack is tragically killed while serving in Iraq, Randy’s father puts even more pressure on Randy to excel in football. Randy has absolutely no desire or skills to play high school sports but when he discovers that he’s good at stickball and loves the game, Randy jumps at the chance to play when its offered.
His father considers the sport a relic of the Choctaw past when it was known as the Little Brother of War and used to settle disputes between communities. For Randy, stick ball provides him with a new sense of self-worth and a new direction in life. A PathFinders novel for reluctant readers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The tension between respecting Choctaw tradition and embracing change are at the heart of Robinson's strong addition to the PathFinders series about Native American teens, written by Native authors. Randy is pressured to pursue high school sports, like his father and recently deceased war-hero brother before him. But the 16-year-old discovers that he loves and has a talent for Choctaw stickball or toli, an ancient game similar to lacrosse that isn't a school sport and that his father thinks is a relic. Written at a fourth-grade reading level, the story captures the believable friction in Randy's family and introduces a bit of American culture that will be new to many readers. Simultaneously available: Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner by Tim Tingle. Ages 12 16.
