The Warrior Challenge: 8 Quests for Boys to Grow Up with Kindness, Courage, and Grit
By Carrie Kingsley,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Practical advice for kids to be humans with integrity.
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What's the Story?
Using true stories and direct language, THE WARRIOR CHALLENGE: 8 QUESTS FOR KIDS TO GROW UP WITH KINDNESS, COURAGE, AND GRIT identifies the framework for succeeding in life, including asking readers to identify what success means to them. Each chapter is a quest, including self-awareness, setting boundaries, respecting others, saying no in a productive way, identifying and dealing with toxic people, navigating sexual relationships, asking for help, and more. Real-life examples of warriors -- actor Terry Crews, skateboarder Danny Way, author John Beede himself, and others -- are paired with a step-by-step formula that helps readers navigate the path of authenticity and personal growth on the way to becoming good humans.
Is It Any Good?
Packed with real advice, true stories, and concrete examples, this advice book tries, and mostly succeeds, to balance between helpful advice kids won't read and trite advice kids don't need. The Warrior Challenge starts off with a lot of bravado, as if the only way to be a warrior is through physical strength and achievement. But it soon settles into deeper topics of integrity, self-worth, personal responsibility, awareness of others, and a serious amount of introspection for this age group. The book sets them up for success by providing a framework for thinking and talking about their feelings and priorities. And readers will find Johnny Dombrowski's dramatic comic-style back-and-white illustrations complement the text and help drive home the messages.
The chapter about pornography and sexual relationships uses clear language, with a big focus on consent and respect. Beede is sure to say that the warrior journey applies to everyone, but he wrote the book from his perspective as a straight, White male, because that's his frame of reference. The resources at the end of the book reaffirm his statement that it takes strength to ask for help, and that everyone needs help throughout their lives.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the lessons in The Warrior Challenge apply to their own lives. When have you had to set boundaries? What made that hard? Have you ever had to cut someone out of your life?
When have you found it hard to move past fear and try to accomplish a goal?
Who are some of the trusted adults you've turned to in your life?
Book Details
- Author: John Beede
- Illustrator: Johnny Dombrowski
- Genre: Advice
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: September 1, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 12
- Number of pages: 272
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: September 28, 2020
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