ABOUT THE BOOK
STORY
Willis is a 4th grade boy faced with the challenges of leaving his life-long friends behind when his family moves far way to a new city. Feeling lost and lonely, the Indigenous history and beauty of the sport of lacrosse provides the path for Willis to find inner strength and new friends.
This enchanting tale merges the boundaries between what is real and what is magical, taking the reader on a ride filled with the positive messages that every person has special talents that are unique and of value, there is strength in diversity and bringing people together builds community.
Meet Willis, his family, the birds and animals, the majestic eagle and the Magic Stick, and see how the sport of lacrosse is a game for everyone.
All proceeds
from book sales go towards supporting youth in underserved areas by providing financial access to the game and increasing diversity.
Illustrator
Trisha B. Waters is the illustrator of Be Brave, Be Brave, Be Brave by F. Anthony Falcon, The Clothesline Code by Janet Halfmann, and has illustrations featured in She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next by Bridget Quinn. Trisha earned her BFA in Drawing and Illustration from the Herron School of Art + Design at Indiana University (IUPUI), where she discovered a love for depicting underrepresented characters in beautiful stories.
trishamasonart.com
Author
Rod Allison is a founder of Denver City Lax, and is and has been a student, lawyer, father and fan of sports, kids and educators.
Acknowledgements
Our gratitude to the William H. Donner Foundation for believing in this venture and providing support that allowed Denver City Lax to offer a picture book we hope readers find worth sharing.
Thank you, Dillon Roy, Andrew Lee, Gayle Erickson, Ben Allison, Ira Huff and Liz Hill, for sharing your wealth of knowledge and invaluable suggestions that improved both the story and the illustrations.
School Reading and Lacrosse Program
University of Denver Men’s Lacrosse reading Willis and and the Magic Stick
Partner with us!
Partner with Willis and the Magic Stick to run your own reading program.
Grow the game by introducing new students to the sport
Perfect community outreach for college, high school, and professional organizations
Excellent way for youth organization’s to encourage new boys and girls to play lacrosse
Combine literacy and lacrosse