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What Members Thought
Historical fiction which is told from 3 different POV's. All are dealing with their own issues and all are rooting for Joe Louis, the brown bomber. ( It had me rooting for the three kids in the story AND Joe Louis!!) At times, their lives intersect. I loved this but think would be more effective if used as a read aloud where kids could have some guidance throughout the story, which at times (esp. the beginning) was a bit confusing. I would pair it with A Nation's Hope the story of Boxing Legend
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A strong book--I enjoyed the setting (1930s upstate New York, orphanage, mostly) and the backdrop of Joe Louis's fights. Gave a lot of great background about how African-Americans rallied around Joe Louis and saw his achievements as theirs--very moving.
The book was strong in presenting the sadness of the 3 orphans, and how they found each other as well as a way to survive & thrive.
I'm still mulling whether I feel this one's strong enough to win. I enjoyed it; I think there was a lot to learn & s ...more
The book was strong in presenting the sadness of the 3 orphans, and how they found each other as well as a way to survive & thrive.
I'm still mulling whether I feel this one's strong enough to win. I enjoyed it; I think there was a lot to learn & s ...more
A story from the Great Depression in three voices - Hibernia, Otis and Willie. I loved the tone - although I didn't notice it at the time, it's told in present tense. More noticeable are the distinct voices and personalities of each character, with their own heartbreaks and hopes. I loved Otis' riddles in particular. It takes a little while before the three stories connect around more than just following Joe Louis' boxing matches, but I enjoyed the ride. I did wonder why the story started in 193
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I sometimes feel like books are trying to play me. This book was interesting and touching, but I felt it seemed too forced or contrived. I felt similarly in Andrea Davis Pinkney's picture book "Sit In." They're great texts, but they seem overly polished.
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The author was selected for the 2013 Arbuthnont Honor Lecture Award and will give her lecture in 2014. So I decided to read some of her books. I enjoyed this American Depression novel about 3 children whose lives intersect and how the Brown Bomber, Joe Lewis, affected them. Plenty of historical information at the back of the book after the story.
Would be a good book For boys and girls 3rd grade and up.
Some fun characters and a couple of moments of tragedy that are handled well, but I found this slow. I find boxing an unpleasant thing to think about, so there were things here I couldn't appreciate.
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Apr 17, 2011
Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)
marked it as to-read
May 21, 2011
Jodi
marked it as to-read
Sep 29, 2011
Kate Hastings
marked it as to-read
Nov 26, 2011
Teresa Garrett
marked it as to-read
Sep 01, 2014
Maegen
marked it as to-read
Mar 27, 2017
Maggi Rohde
marked it as to-read
Sep 18, 2017
Rebecca
marked it as to-read
