ALA Booklist (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 1996)

Eleven-year-old Ohkwa'ri overhears Grabber and his friends planning to raid a neighboring village and warns the tribal elders, preventing the raid but gaining the wrath of the older boys. When the village decides to hold a game of Tekwaarathon (lacrosse) in an attempt to restore elderly Thunder's Voice to health, Ohkwa'ri realizes he must face those enemies on the playing field. Set in a Mohawk village in the late 1490s, the story offers a detailed look at the traditional Mohawk way of life. Through Ohkwa'ri and his twin sister, Otsi:stia, Bruchac explores the roles of men and women, teaching practices, family relationships, and social life and customs before contact with European explorers and traders. Although the information overshadows the story at times, middle readers interested in traditional practices will find this clear and easy to understand. An afterword describes the efforts of the Mohawk people to return to their traditional lands. A reading list and a glossary are appended. (Reviewed May 1, 1996)

Horn Book

Tekwaarathon' (known now as lacrosse) is used to settle a dispute between two boys in this novel set in a fifteenth-century Mohawk village. Eleven-year-old Ohkwa'ri gains the grudging respect of his archrival, an older boy, and comes to realize that, as his sister has told him, 'Sometimes things do happen that you did not expect.' Bruchac provides an interesting afterword on the people of the longhouse. Bib., glos.

Kirkus Reviews

Ohkwa'ri and his twin sister, Otsi:stia, 11, are late-15th century Mohawks living in what would become New York State. Both are exemplary young people: He is brave, kind, and respectful of his elders, and she is gentle and wise beyond her years. One day Ohkwa'ri hears an older youth, Grabber, and his cronies planning to raid a nearby Abenaki village, in violation of the Great League of Peace to which all the Iroquois Nations have been committed for decades. When Ohkwa'ri reports what he has heard to the tribal elders he makes a deadly enemy of Grabber. Grabber's opportunity for revenge comes when the entire tribe gathers for the great game of Tekwaarathon (later, lacrosse). Ohkwa'ri knows that he will be in great danger during the long day of play and will have to use all his wits and skills to save himself and his honor. Bruchac (Between Earth and Sky, p. 445, etc.) saturates his novel with suspense, generating an exciting story that also offers an in-depth look at Native American life centuries ago. The book also offers excellent insights into the powerful role of women in what most readers will presume was a male-dominated society. Thoroughly researched; beautifully written. (glossary) (Fiction. 8- 11)"

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6--Ohkwa'ri is hiding in a shaded area when he overhears the misguided Grabber's intentions to start a war with the neighboring Anen:taks tribe. Although the boy is barely 11 winters old, he realizes something must be done to stop his fellow tribesman's plans. Set in a longhouse village in upstate New York, Bruchac's story establishes a sense of place in the first chapter: Ohkwa'ri works to become a respected member of his tribe, while Grabber and his cohorts, Greasy Hair, Falls a Lot, and Eats Like a Bear, attempt to get even with him. Despite the predictability of the plot, young readers will enjoy the glimpses of Native American culture. The importance of respect and honor are clearly outlined through Ohkwa'ri's feelings toward his elders such as his grandmother and his uncle. On his own, the earnest young hero builds and sleeps in his own lodge, illustrating independence and self-sufficiency. Other aspects of Native life such as name giving, government, and family relations are outlined. The mixing of fact with fiction is consistent and believable. Jan Hudson's Sweetgrass (Scholastic, 1991) or Elizabeth George Speare's The Sign of the Beaver (Dell, 1993) are more absorbing, yet Bruchac's latest offering is a good choice for large collections.--Julie Shatterly, York County Public Library, Rock Hill, SC