Rez Ball

These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident. 

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. 

But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with. After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.  

Anyone who feels as if their siblings overshadow them will relate to Tre, who often feels like he is walking in his brother’s shadow, even after his brother dies. As a sophomore, Tre is excited when he’s called up to the varsity team, hoping to prove his worth, but he struggles to fit in with Jaxon’s old teammates. In addition, the team likes to party with drugs and alcohol. Tre jumps into the party scene because he wants his teammates to think he is cool. Even though Tre’s parents know he is partying, they ignore the behavior. When Tre’s drinking begins to affect his basketball-playing ability, he finally confronts his teammates and asks them to make a pact to stop drinking until after the playoffs.  

Tre is a well-rounded person who loves basketball, superheroes, and hanging out with his best friend. Readers will relate to Tre’s struggle to fit in with his teammates and his desire to prove his worth on the basketball court. Tre exercises and practices during the summer to prepare for the basketball season. His motivation and determination are admirable qualities. Tre’s struggle to adjust to playing varsity and to fit in with his teammates is realistic and authentic. Through Tre’s experiences, readers will see the importance of friendship and forgiveness.  

Rez Ball shows the unique challenges that come with growing up on an Ojibwe reservation. Tre and his friends experience discrimination and police harassment. In addition, Tre must overcome the belief that, as an Indian, he isn’t capable of making it to the NBA. Rez Ball is first and foremost a book about basketball and there are many play-by-play basketball scenes. Yet, Tre’s family and school life is interspersed throughout the book, allowing the reader to understand how all aspects of Tre’s life affect him. Readers will also appreciate the references to comic books, superheroes, and Star Wars. 

By writing Rez Ball, Graves wanted to encourage other Native athletes to “Keep your heads up; keep your dreams alive. Have fun. Be grateful for what we do have, but don’t be afraid to go after more.” Ultimately, Tre’s team doesn’t win state, but their winning streak helps bring their community together. In addition, the story ends on a hopeful note—Tre gets his first recruitment letter from a university and his future looks bright. Sports enthusiasts should also read the true story Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin. To learn more about the conflicts unique to indigenous people, read Powwow Summer by Nahanni Shingoose. 

Sexual Content  

• Tre and his friend Khiana are standing by Tre’s locker. When Tre’s friends sees them, he asks, “Are you two banging now or what?” They are interrupted before Tre or Khiana has time to answer. 
• Khiana tells Tre about a past relationship with another girl. Khiana says, “I’m two-spirit, which among other things means I date boys and girls.” 
• Tre is getting ready to leave to pick up Khiana. His uncle “Ricky reaches for his wallet in his pocket. ‘You need protection. I might have some in my wallet.’” Tre’s dad gets upset and replies, “He’s not a hornball like you were in high school.”  
• Khiana shows up at Tre’s house wearing pajamas, which “turns on” Tre. Later, when Khiana sees Tre’s expressions, she says, “I know that look. . . The doe-eyed, falling-in-love look.” She tells Tre that she only likes him as a friend.

Violence  

• Tre tells a new girl about the gangs by the reservation. “They’re here. Once in a while something messed up happens. Someone will get stabbed or shot. But I think they mainly sell drugs.” 
• At a party, Tre gets drunk and starts yelling at his best friend, Wes. Tre says, “What the fuck ever. Fuck you, Wes. Fake-ass friend. Get the fuck out of here.” The partygoers encourage Tre and Wes to fight. Tre describes, “I finish my beer, crush it in one hand, then throw it at Wes. It smacks his forehead. He punches me. I grab my lower jaw; the pain is instant and sharp. . . I shove him down, jump on top of him, and throw wild punches at his face. People try to pull me off, but I keep slipping free to punch again. . .” Someone finally pulls Tre off of Wes.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• Tre’s dad smokes cigarettes and drinks beer often. In addition, when Tre’s uncles come over, they also drink beer.
  
• Tre and the other basketball players often party where there is alcohol and weed. For example, Tre and his friend go to a party at a basketball player’s house where there is alcohol and a “cloud of weed.” Tre takes a drink of vodka. “I almost die coughing it up.” Tre doesn’t drink anymore. 
• At one party, Tre worries about what his teammate, Mason, will do. “I worry that he’s drunk and going to be even more ballsy than normal.” To look cool, Tre drinks beer and tequila shots. “I lose track of how many drinks I’ve had. But my lips feel numb, and I’m no longer steady on my feet.” Most of the people get drunk.  
• At one party, Tre gets really drunk. “The next morning, I struggle to walk, still feeling dizzy and a little drunk.” Another time, Tre gets so drunk that he goes home and “collapse onto my bed. . . When I close my eyes, the room spins. My tongue feels sandy. I’m dying for water or Gatorade, but if I drink anything, it’s coming right back up.”  
• One of the basketball player’s dads is known as “the guy who brings the drugs in.” 
• When Tre goes to his friend’s house, the basement smells like weed. 
• Tre goes to a school dance and one of his friends takes out a flask. Tre and a few other guys take a swig and then chew gum to cover the smell. Later, two of the guys get suspended from basketball because they got caught drinking.  
• One of the basketball players tells Tre that after high school, they will “go to work at the casino, or sling weed, or end up alcoholics, hooked on drugs, or dead.” 
• Tre and his teammates often party and get drunk. Tre’s friend, Dallas, often drives Tre to the parties. Even though Dallas drinks and drives, Tre doesn’t say anything because he’s “trying to be cool.” 
• When Tre’s dad was in high school, his team spent days “partying nonstop. They were so hungover that they got their asses handed to them in the regional tournament.”  

Language  

• Profanity is used excessively among teens and adults. Profanity includes ass, bitch, damn, fuck, goddamn, hell, pissed, and shit. 
• Christ, Jesus Christ, oh my God, holy and holy shit are used as exclamations frequently.  
• During a game, Tre’s basketball coach yells at him. “You’re running around out there like a goddamn crackhead on the first of the month.”  
• Infrequently, there is name calling such as bastard, bitch, and dick. 

Supernatural 

• None

Spiritual Content  

• At a tournament game, “some of the older white fans have their hands clasped in nervous prayer as they stare up at the scoreboard.” When a player sees the fans, he says, “Jesus was Black.”  
• At dinner, Tre’s parents often talk about his brother Jaxon. “I swear to the Creator, almost every dinner, he’s all they talk about.”  
• Tre isn’t sure what to do at a game until Dallas, one of the basketball players, waves Tre over. Tre thinks, “Thank the Creator for Dallas.”  
• While at a party, Tre gets drunk and still drinks Jose Cuervo. “I throw back my shot and almost put it up. . . I’m holding a balled fist up to my mouth, praying to the Creator I don’t hurl all over the table.”  
• After getting into a fight and getting a black eye, Tre prays “to the Creator that my mom can do something” to help cover his bruise. 
• After Tre gets into a fight with his best friend, Tre’s mom says, “We need to smudge you down before you leave.” Then she takes a “shell with sage burning in it [and]. . . waves the smoke around me, I close my eyes, instantly feeling a bit better about everything.” Afterward, his mom says, “There’s a pouch of tobacco on the kitchen table. You need to put some out before you leave. Talk to the Creator. Thank him for today, for everything you have, and ask him to give you the courage to make things right.” 
• Before a tournament game, the coach smudges the team. “Coach comes out from a back office with sage burning in a shell. We stand as he walks by us, one by one. We wave the smoke closer, carrying it up and over the back of our heads.” Afterward, the coach shows the guys footage of the team they are about to play.