The Guardian of Isis is the story of a young boy whose courage, determination, and self-reliance enable him to overcome formidable obstacles and begin to become a man. From the beginning, Jody senses the importance of self-discipline; in training himself to scale the Cascades, he is exercising a kind of self-discipline. He must learn to exercise that same kind of self-control in his words and actions. He must learn the duty he owes his fellow colonists, to accept responsibility for their welfare as well as his own. He must learn when to value the wisdom of his elders and when to insist upon obtaining the knowledge necessary to adapt to new situations. In addition, he must learn to be patient with the ignorance and slow progress of his society. Jody considers his return to the surface—after he has planted the dynamite&mdash...