A good book to motivate kids to keep practicing when learning any new skill. Danny learns to let go of his fear and think about how others may be feeling. He gets lessons from a friend's grandfather in exchange for helping him in the garden. ( )

The story is a didactic one about dealing with bullies, and life in general. In a curious mishmash of cultural traditions, the setting is more from the fifties than the nineties; the teacher-grandfather is named Socrates; and the methods used are from Asian martial arts (think "Karate Kid" training methods). ( )

How can we use are power to help keep our souls safe this book shows you what weapons are important let students summarize what they would use to keep them safe...

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The message of being a peaceful warrior--with weapons being love and courage among others--is a great one! However, the book was a bit odd to me. I didn't know if half the time the book was a fantasy or a figment of the imagination.

Boys especially relate to this story and it really speaks to anyone who has ever been bullied.