Way, The

Abenaki teenager Cody is starting high school and despite trying to stay under the radar, he is teased for coming from a poor family, with no dad and a mom who works nights to support them. When his uncle comes for a martial art competition in their area, Cody learns martial arts from a member of his own Nation and family and this skill is a great benefit when an event happens at school that changes everything. This engaging and timely novel for grades 6-9 is suitable for read-aloud, literature circles, independent reading, or class novel, and deals with issues of identity, conflict, belonging, bullying, school shootings, family, and self-control.