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Jews in Nazi Germany, Karl and his family lose their business, their home, and their rights. Karl finds strength and hope from a surprising source, German hero and boxer, Max Schmeling.
A powerful and informative book about Hitler's attacks on Jews and how it affected German families. ...more
A powerful and informative book about Hitler's attacks on Jews and how it affected German families. ...more
Although Karl Stern's family is not religious, they are considered Jewish based on the fact that three out of four grandparents were Jewish. Luckily for Karl, he does not have Jewish features, so his classmates and the public are unaware of his heritage. When his classmates discover his true religion, they beat him up. At an art auction, his father's friend, Max Schmeling, offers to give him boxing lessons. (Max Schmeling was a very famous boxer at the time who knocked out Joe Louis.)
Karl develo ...more
Karl develo ...more
There have been few books that I have read recently that inspire me to become an author. The Berlin Boxing Club was one of those special books. I connected on many different levels with this novel about a young boy's self-discovery in 1930's Germany during the rise of Hitler. There were parts of this book that made me think of Schindler's List since part of the story revolved around Max Schmeling, a historical figure who saved the lives of two young Jewish men in Berlin. Part of this book made m
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This is an excellent historical novel set in Berlin, Germany on the eve of World War II. Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern, considered Jewish despite a non-religious upbringing, learns to box from the legendary Max Schmeling while struggling with the realities of the Holocaust. As the political situation gradually deteriorates, he realizes that the only thing upon which he can rely is family.
The writing is vivid and fast-paced, with fully fleshed characters and a tensely fascinating plot based upon t ...more
The writing is vivid and fast-paced, with fully fleshed characters and a tensely fascinating plot based upon t ...more
I think this book has a quiet subtleness to it that many Holocaust/Literature forgoes. I enjoyed that Sharenow began his book before Nazi Germany went full-fledged to its growing escalation with Kristallnacht. The reader is able to see how Nazi Germany slowly turned up the heat on it Jewish population through Karl's own experiences. It was brilliant how Sharenow introduced certain characters and took them away as the plot escalated. An aspect that is very relevant to Jews' owns experiences durin
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Richie's Picks: THE BERLIN BOXING CLUB by Robert Sharenow, HarperTeen, April 2011, 416p., ISBN: 978-0-06-157968-8
"All of Germany got swept up in Max Mania. He flew home in grand style on the Hindenburg, the largest airship in the world and the pride of the Nazi fleet. Thousands turned up to greet him when he landed in Frankfurt, and the event was covered on live radio. Every newspaper and magazine featured photographs of Max and stories about the fight. Almost instantly Max's name and face app ...more
"All of Germany got swept up in Max Mania. He flew home in grand style on the Hindenburg, the largest airship in the world and the pride of the Nazi fleet. Thousands turned up to greet him when he landed in Frankfurt, and the event was covered on live radio. Every newspaper and magazine featured photographs of Max and stories about the fight. Almost instantly Max's name and face app ...more
Karl is 14 as this story unfolds and Hitler has just risen to power in 1920s Germany. Karl and his family are not practicing Jews but his grandparents were and so, under German law, that makes Karl Jewish. He really doesn't even look Jewish with his mother's fair hair and skin but his dad and sister have darker hair and skin and are recognizable as Jews. Karl's dad is a popular owner of an art gallery but business has become slow and almost nonexistent because of new German laws about artwork an
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Affecting historical fiction from a writer who knows how to present history in all its' shades of gray.
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This one was definitely enjoyable. I liked the infusion of comic-style drawings, and I was really rooting for the young protagonist. But the content pushes this middle-grade novel firmly into the teen section. It makes Hitler's Canary look quite tame by comparison. Which I suppose it is. I suspect a parental warning list for this novel would be longer than the novel itself.
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Jan 22, 2012
Liz
marked it as to-read
Apr 20, 2012
Marianne
marked it as to-read
Jul 10, 2012
Krystina Kelley
marked it as to-read
Aug 02, 2012
Cathy Blackler
marked it as to-read
Aug 19, 2012
Tracy
marked it as to-read
