Chances are, you haven’t heard of Byron Graves, the Ojibwe author of Rez Ball who now lives in Denver, but rest assured his is a name you’re going to hear more of in the future. Rez Ball is his debut novel via a Native American imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Publishers, Heartdrum, which has set out to provide quality stories by Native Americans and First Nations authors for children eight and over. Rez Ball might resonate more for the 12 and over crowd.

Byron Graves

Rez Ball is the tale of Tre Brun, a young man living on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. He’s facing many of the same challenges as teens elsewhere, but he’s doing so in the wake of his older brother’s sudden death. Jaxon Brun was a star basketball player, just like their dad, and everyone knew he was going to take his team to the State Championships for the first time in rez history. Instead, his young life was taken in a car accident, leaving behind not only a family who must figure out how to cope without him, but also the school’s basketball team and his fellow Ojibwe citizens, who could use a win almost as much as the team.

As Tre begins a new year of high school, he’s trying to find his own place amid fellow students, but also in his family, circle of friends and community. The focus has been on Jaxon for so long that Tre’s not sure how to prove himself worthy of following in his brother’s footsteps. His memories are tied to his past with Jaxon, making his home and school unfamiliar places to relearn and reestablish himself. After all, when a piece of yourself has been removed, you must figure out how to move forward without it.

He’s been practicing all summer to try out for the varsity team, and it’s noticeable how much he’s advanced. When he steps onto the court, he’s suddenly someone else, someone with skill and drive. Maybe even someone his brother would have been proud of. His talents don’t go unnoticed by the varsity players, drawing mixed responses. Could he be the one that takes them to State or is he just getting in the way? Either way, he’s no longer the little brother of their teammate; now he’s on the team.

Tre’s not alone on his journey. His good friend Wes believes in him more than anyone else. So much, in fact, that he’s filming a documentary on Tre’s journey to State. In his mind, it’s not if, but when his friend will be shooting it out on the court for a Red Lake Warriors victory. There’s also Nate, who plays on the junior varsity team with Tre, and Dallas, a varsity starter who sees Tre’s talent and believes in him.

Joining them is Khiana, who’s just moved to the rez, catching Tre’s eye and presenting a new complication. Add to that the parties he’s being invited to, leading to late nights and deciding whether or not to drink with the team when anyone getting into trouble can be removed and have their hopes dashed. Tre is forced to juggle friendship, a love interest, practice, schoolwork, and all those normal teen things, but his situation isn’t the same as other teens. Not only does he have to deal with the repercussions of his brother’s death, but also racism from surrounding communities and the teams he must go face-to-face with. Life on the rez is different, and he must learn to navigate a variety of worlds if he’s to have any chance of success.

Rez Ball starts out at a gradual pace, but quickly picks up, pulling the reader into the frantic world of high school basketball and the struggles of growing up. The games are beautifully detailed, making it easy to visualize exactly what’s happening. This world is all the more realized because of Graves’ own experience with rez ball, and some of his real-life experiences are echoed within the covers of the book. Beneath it all, there is an earnestness that compels the reader to eagerly follow along. Every shot, every threat, every decision matters. We want to see Tre bring the ultimate victory to a team that has weathered the unimaginable, and we’re going to stick with him all the way to Bemidji, rooting for the team, but most of all, rooting for Tre.

Rez Ball won the William C. Morris Debut Award from the American Library Association, as well as the Youth Literature Award from the American Indian Library Association. It has also appeared on many lists, such as Book Riot’s Best Children’s Books. It’s a deeply impactful coming of age story that will speak to readers from the teenage years up. There are themes involving substance abuse, as well as language that might not be considered suitable for younger readers, but those are the only limitations on this interpretation of teenage struggles that are often more adult than we give them credit for. Like Tre, the author has heart, and his instinct for human emotion shines through in Rez Ball, with a story sure to touch any reader who has dealt with loss or been forced to meet a challenge head on, cementing Byron Graves’ place as a debut novelist to keep an eye on.