Book review: The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage

Reviewed by Alex Hebert

I may be a little biased, but how can anyone not like a book where the main character’s name is Alex? While I am more of a baseball guy than hockey, I still enjoyed the main point of the book, which is to be proud of who you are.

11-year-old Alex Robinson is a hockey player who becomes a target of prejudice because he is First Nation. The book deals with Alex’s experience with racist remarks and how he overcomes the situation.

Author David A. Robertson says: I wrote this book because there are Indigenous kids who love hockey, but nobody really understands what they can go through. Often times, they’re not only dealing with what’s on the ice, but what’s going on in the stands or across the bench. I wanted to start a conversation about the culture of hockey, while also showing what’s so beautiful about the sport and the community it can be.

Alex is from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba so the book is peppered with the Cree language throughout. His grandparents had attended Indian Residential School and it’s interesting how the author weaves in information about Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30. Alex previously attended school at Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre. That very name is a teachable moment for the awareness of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls crisis. Helen Betty was murdered in The Pas, Manitoba in 1971 for being a First Nation woman. The author is also from Norway House Cree Nation so it makes the book more interesting when he adds important details about the community.

I liked the fast pace of the novel and the messages about teamwork, bullying, prejudice, racism, and overcoming challenges and adversity found throughout the book. Following some new opportunities, Alex’s family moves to the city, which presents challenges of fitting into a place where others may not understand his culture.

I think many young and teenage readers would enjoy this book, the messages, and the subject matter of hockey!

David A. Robertson, The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage. Winnipeg: Highwater Press, 2024.
ISBN:  9781774921012