The book Eagle Blue by Michael D'orso takes place in Fort Yukon, a remote village in Alaska. The story is a true story and is the accounts he had. The town of 600 is only accessible by plane. Michael D'orso follows the team through their journey to the high school state tournament and their lives through the season. The book is about so much more than basketball. It highlights the hardships that occur in Alaska but also issues that are common in the rest of the country such as alcoholism, drugs, and students dropping out of school. All of the boys have such a close friendship that they call each other family. The close bond the boys have only strengthens throughout the season. The "family" all has a common goal, to win the state tournament.

D'orso interviews different players and fans. We find out some of the struggles they face and the values they hold. It becomes very evident that school is not deemed important to the vast majority of the kids living in Alaska. They see school as pointless and wont use it in their jobs. The only reason many go to school is to play basketball. Basketball is one thing that unites the town. They all come together to cheer for Fort Yukon.

I would recommend this book to others. It captures many elements of the customs life in a small town in Alaska. It addresses the many issues that the people face in Alaska. It also addresses issues that people face in the midwest and much of the rest of the US we can relate to the story. There are many lessons to be learned in this story such as the importance of togetherness, determination, hard work, and dedication. It also was interesting that Eagle Blue was a non-fiction. Eagle Blue was named a top 10 sports book in 2006. Even if you don't enjoy sports, I would still recommend this book because the main focus of this story was not basketball.

In my opinion the main theme present in the story would be family and the importance of community.  The town is small and everyone needs to work together. They need to work as a family for the community to thrive, and they also need to work as a family so the basketball team can win their games and go to state.