17 yearold Mickey Church a Tlingit Indian didnampamprsquot see anything special about his hometown. Perched on an island in Southeast Alaska the small town of Wrangell was shabby wet and isolated. Mickey spent his time acting out lighting up and practicing his unstudied air of casual defiance. But when Dr. Bernet the skinny tenorvoiced new teacher gave his first history lecture something inside Mickey shifted. Those old stories about the Tlingit people the early Russian settlers and American explorers began to resonate with the rootless orphan. Itampamprsquos a comingofage story about a boy caught between the ages. Should Mickey embrace the ways of his ancestors or concentrate on finding his future in todayampamprsquos modern world Set against the lush backdrop of Southeast Alaska The War Canoe has its share of fistfights bear attacks and belly laughs. It is the perfect read for any preteen or young teenager who is at the crossroads of adolescence ampampndash or any adult who is looking for a little common ground.