Review of THE WARRIORS

Bruchac, Joseph. 2003. THE WARRIORS. Plain City, OH: Darby Creek. ISBN 1-581960026

PLOT SUMMARY
Jake loves to play lacrosse. He is good at it, too—maybe even the best junior league player on the reservation. Lacross was a gift from the Creator to the Iroquois people, “a way to make them strong, a way to join together in a great game that was also a prayer” (p. 15). Now Jake is moving off the reservation with his mother. He must move away from his family and friends. Jake’s new school has a lacrosse team. In fact, Weltimore is known for producing the best junior league lacrosse players. As he struggles to adapt to his new community and new team, Jake must also find a way for his community to adapt their beliefs. Jake must find a way to help his teammates, especially the coach, understand the true meaning and importance of lacrosse to the Iroquois people.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
THE WARRIORS is a well-told story of a boy—becoming a man—struggling to understand and be understood. Joseph Bruchac, himself of Abenaki heritage, portrays the Iroquois people in a respectful and telling light. Through character development, language and relationships the respectful nature of the Iroquois people is revealed. The story is so believable, the reader feels as though they are hearing a story told by and about friends.

The characters’ actions and words are understated and realistic. Though Jake is heartbroken at having to leave the reservation, he continues to be respectful of his mother and others. When his mother asks him not to play lacrosse so he can concentrate on his studies, he agrees without hesitation. This respect for his elders is typical of Iroquois tradition. Jake also shows his respect for others in a conversation after a lacrosse victory. When called “Chief” by teammates, Jake chooses not to correct the other players. He understands they are trying to show their appreciation for his abilities and doesn’t want to hurt their feelings.

Another character, Jake’s Uncle Irwin, treats others with truthful respect. When Jake is set to leave the reservation, he asks his uncle to take care of his lacrosse stick while he’s gone. Knowing the stick “belong[s] in his nephew’s hands” (p. 17), Uncle Irwin respects Jake’s wish and accepts the responsibility. When he is homesick after the move, Jake begins calling friends and family members. After several calls, Uncle Irwin gently reminds Jake, “I love to hear from you, but I think you need to be where you are…” (p. 29). This calm respectful tone is found throughout the story, reflecting Iroquois custom.

In Native American cultures, “the elderly have always occupied a special place because of their wisdom and age” (Harris, p. 171). Bruchac shows Jake’s respect for Grandpa Sky throughout the story. Jake always looks for Grandpa Sky in the stands during lacrosse games and remembers the stories his grandfather has told him. Near the end of the story, Jake dreams of an old woman whom he knows only as another Indian. Though they are strangers in his dream, they refer to each other as grandmother and grandson. This illustrates the Iroquois’ perception that elders are thought of as the grandparents of the community.

Bruchac’s young adult novel, THE WARRIORS, reveals characters which behave both realistically and respectfully. Though people often feel hurt and outcast and must do things they don’t want to, most do not lash out and “tell it like it is.” The thoughts and feelings of the characters in THE WARRIORS show real frustration and sadness and realistic responses to those emotions.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly notes, “While the plot seems contrived to deliver the lesson, and while Jake, in all his perfection and purity, seems more paragon than a flesh-and-blood character, Bruchac offsets these drawbacks with the smoothness of the prose and the beauty of his evocation of Native American spirituality and wisdom traditions. Readers will want to believe in the story and in Jake.”
School Library Journal comments, “Throughout the novel, the author mixes just the right amount of universal teen experience and culturally specific perspective to make Jake's story appealing to a broad audience.”

Reviews obtained from Follett Library Resources and accessed at:
http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=c211074453f514ff63ced2a0fe154f24

CONNECTIONS
Bruchac books for younger readers:
RACCOON’S LAST RACE. ISBN 978-0803729773
TURTLE’S RACE WITH BEAVER. ISBN 978-0803728523
CRAZY HORSE’S VISION. ISBN 978-1880000946

Children’s books on lacrosse:
Wells, Donald. 2006. FOR THE LOVE OF LACROSSE. For the love of sports. New York: Weigl Publishers. ISBN 978-1590363010
Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane, and Lawrence Migdale. 1998. Lacrosse: the national game of the Iroquois. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0823413607
Swissler, Becky. 2004. Winning lacrosse for girls. The winning sports for girls series. New York: Facts On File. ISBN 978-0816051830