• The Kodiaks
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The Kodiaks

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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 Al...
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  • 09 April 2024
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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?

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Price: $12.95
Pages: 200
Publisher: Portage & Main Press
Imprint: HighWater Press
Publication Date: 09 April 2024
Trim Size: 8.00 X 5.25 in
ISBN: 9781774921012
Format: Paperback
BISACs: JUVENILE FICTION / Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Hockey, JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism, JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / New Experience, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Sporting stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Winter sports: Ice hockey, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Sports teams and clubs, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism and anti-racism, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and self-esteem, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Prejudice and intolerance, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Bullying and harassment, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: First / new experiences and growing up / coming of age, Children’s / Teenage social topics: Identity / belonging
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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.



I liked the fast pace of the novel and the messages about teamwork, bullying, prejudice, racism, and overcoming challenges and adversity. I think many young and teenage readers would enjoy this book, the messages, and the subject matter of hockey!



If you are reading the just-released middle grade novel The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage and are impressed by how real it all feels, there’s a reason for that—a lot of it is.


— Greg Oliver for SIHR’s Two Minutes for Reading so Good

Timely and important, The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage is a must-read. Highly Recommended



Lots of depth here as Alex navigates a new town/school, a new hockey team, and prejudice, racism, and microaggressions on and off the ice. Sports books always fly off the shelves, so this is a really nice addition to the field.



Good news for young people, Native or not, who love a high-quality series! We hope teachers and librarians will buy copies of [The Kodiaks] for their shelves, and keep their eyes open for the next Breakout Chronicles book. Highly recommended.



Nominated for the Forest of Reading 2025 Silver Birch Fiction award