Good Stuff!

Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink

By John Brown 

Do you have a son (or husband) who is looking for a fun read and might enjoy some insights from a Navy SEAL? 

If so, boy, have I got a book for you. 

It’s an illustrated novel for kids called The Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink. They say it’s for kids, but I guess I must be one heck of an old kid because I loved it. 

In real life, as a commander for Task Unit Bruiser, Willink led the Navy SEALs deployed to one of the most pivotal and intensely fought battles of the Iraq War—the eight-month Battle of Ramadi. Willink spent 20 years in the military, most of it as a SEAL, and he shares terrific insights about leadership, working as a team, and personal performance in his books. 

However, The Way of the Warrior Kid is a bit different. It’s a funny, fictional story of a fifth grader named Marc. 

Fifth grade was the worst year of Marc’s life. Marc stunk at gym class. He’s struggled in math. And he had a terrible time on his class field trip because he couldn’t swim. And the, of course, there was Kenny Williamson, the class bully.

Marc’s mother tells him that his Uncle Jake is coming to stay for the whole summer. Uncle Jake is a Navy SEAL. And when he hears about Marc’s struggles, Uncle Jake proposes a plan—he’s going to turn Marc into a warrior.

But becoming a warrior isn’t easy. It means a lot of pull ups, sit ups, pushups, squats, swimming, eating right, and studying harder than ever before. Will Marc be able to transform himself into a warrior before school starts in the fall – and finally stand up to Kenny Williamson?

Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. 

When asked why he wrote the book, Willink said, “Seeing my own kids grow up made me remember that kids face a lot of challenges. I wanted to show how kids can apply the fundamental principles I learned in the SEAL Teams to overcoming the various challenges they face.”

The style reminds me a bit of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but this book slips in a little more insight about life. And I’m happy to report that the mix was perfect for this reader. 

If you have a son in grade school, middle school, high school, college, or has rounded the corner on fifty, I think he’ll enjoy this book. I know I did. I’ve now ordered the second and third in the series and can’t wait to read them.