Becoming Muhammad Ali (Becoming Ali, 1) - Hardcover

Patterson, James; Alexander, Kwame

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316498165 ISBN 13: 9780316498166

Publisher: jimmy patterson, 2020

Synopsis

Two literary heavy-hitters—New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson—deliver a knockout critically acclaimed bestselling biographical novel about cultural icon Muhammad Ali. 

Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Kwame Alexander and James Patterson join forces to vividly depict his life up to age seventeen in both prose and verse, including his childhood friends, struggles in school, the racism he faced, and his discovery of boxing.

Readers will learn about Cassius' family and neighbors in Louisville, Kentucky, and how, after a thief stole his bike, Cassius began training as an amateur boxer at age twelve. Before long, he won his first Golden Gloves bout and began his transformation into the unrivaled Muhammad Ali.

Fully authorized by and written in cooperation with the Muhammad Ali estate, and vividly brought to life by Dawud Anyabwile's dynamic artwork, Becoming Muhammad Ali captures the budding charisma and youthful personality of one of the greatest sports heroes of all time.

Winner of the 2021-2022 Sunshine State Young Readers Award (Grades 6-8) and 2022 Magnolia Book Award, and nominated for six state awards!

"Utterly delightful ... a smash hit." ―School Library Journal (starred review)

"A knockout!" ―Booklist (starred review)

"Stellar" ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Powerful." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About this title

About the Author

Kwame Alexander is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books, including his Newbery Medal-winning novel The Crossover and The Undefeated, winner of the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor. He is the founding editor of Versify, which aims to change the world one word at a time.

 

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Maximum Ride, Middle School, Treasure Hunters, and Jacky Ha-Ha. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, and his books have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. He has received an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal. 

A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson created a children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY book to say, ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.’” He has donated more than three million books to students and soldiers and funds over four hundred Teacher and Writer Education Scholarships at twenty-one colleges and universities. He also supports forty thousand school libraries and has donated millions of dollars to independent bookstores. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives. 

Reviews

Gr 4-8-Before the indomitable Muhammad Ali was known as a boxing legend and social justice leader, he was Cassius Clay, a young dreamer and fighter from Louisville, KY. As a young Black man, Cassius's childhood in the 1950s is shaped by the Southern United States' Jim Crow laws. Working towards a better life seems impossible; yet Cassius is a firm believer in who he is and where he's from. But where is he going next? It all begins with a stolen bike, a boxing ring, and unrelenting determination. Told in "Ten Rounds," this utterly delightful story about Ali's childhood is a smash hit. Patterson handles narrator Lucky's prose while Alexander crafts Cassius's poetry. This creates a distinct, clear flow for each Round, starting with a thought-provoking intro which then progresses into Cassius's rhythmic expansion of events. Despite many roadblocks along his boxing journey, Cassius's positive, winning demeanor reveals that the biggest hurdle when pursuing a passion is one's mindset. Though the overarching narrative ends with the 1959 Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, the "Final Round" chapter overviews Ali's life in and out of the ring. A bibliography is included. VERDICT The overwhelming positivity filling the pages encourages readers to never be afraid of who they are, making this story golden. Get this uplifting, informative book onto library shelves and into kid's hands.-Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., ILα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: jimmy patterson
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316498165
• ISBN 13: 9780316498166
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Anyabwile Dawud
• Number of pages: 320