WILLIS AND THE MAGIC STICK

A new boy at school uses his connection to lacrosse to find friendship and community in Allison’s picture book.

Willis, a young boy with brown skin and curly black hair, is having trouble adjusting to his new school. He doesn’t feel like he fits in, and none of the kids reach out to include him. He misses his old friends in upstate New York, many of whom are Onondaga children, who taught him their cultural sport, lacrosse. They gave him a hand-made hickory stick as a goodbye gift, and he keeps it with him as a comfort after his first bad day at school. That night, an eagle flies into his dreams and transports him, on a magical lacrosse stick, to the land of the animals (the blue hues of the art illustrating Willis’ nighttime visit lend a fantastical feeling to the story). “Every player is unique and has qualities that are special,” the eagle tells Willis, noting that the game brings people together in community. The next day, Willis takes his lacrosse stick to school, and when he demonstrates how to play, all the kids want to join. Allison celebrates the excitement of the game while honoring its Indigenous legacy. Waters’ gorgeous painted illustrations depict a diverse community of kids, all of whom find commonality in their shared interest in the sport.

A beautiful, inclusive story of lacrosse’s community-building potential.