The Boxer
Author(s): Kathleen Karr
Hard-hitting historical fiction
Ever since his father ran off two years before, fifteen-year-old Johnny Woods has struggled to help support his ma and five siblings, sacrificing his own schooling in the process. Still, there's been hardly enough money each month to make the rent, and Johnny's dream of a house in Brooklyn, away from the tenement slums, is out of reach.
Then Johnny discovers boxing. He is a natural-born fighter, with street smarts, determination, and an explosive uppercut. Although boxing is illegal in 1885 New York, Johnny powers his way through every obstacle, believing he has found the means to raise himself and his family out of poverty. But as he moves closer to his biggest fight yet, Johnny must reconcile his need to help his loved ones with a sharpening desire to achieve something outside the ring, starting with his education. In bringing to life Johnny's struggle and ultimate success, Kathleen Karr offers readers a compelling portrait of an appealing young champion.
Review(s):
“An enticing mix of sports, action, family drama and period detail in this saga of an amateur boxer growing up in 19th-century Manhattan . . . The book's one-two-punch pacing and warmhearted resolutions will keep the pages turning.” —Publisher's Weekly
NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, NYPLT Books for the Teen Age, Golden Kite Award for Fiction, Long-listed ALA Notable Children's Books, Winner NCSS-CBC NotableTrade-Soc.Stdy (2001), American Library Association Notable Children's Books, Winner NYPL Books for the Teen Age, NCSS-CBC NotableTrade-Soc.Stdy, Long-listed ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, Winner Golden Kite Award Winner, American Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Readers, Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (2001)
ISBN: 9780374408862