The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Terrific, kid-friendly bio on a sports great.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that if you're not a fan of boxing, you may not love this book. Also, big issues like racism, the Vietnam War, and religious beliefs are touched on here, which may lead to some discussions. When talking about Ali's conversion to Islam, the book says, "Many people feared and despised the Nation of Islam because it preached that white people were devils."

  • For a book about boxing, it's pretty violence-free, but it's still about boxing.

What's the story?

Young Cassius Clay becomes Muhammad Ali during a tumultuous time in American history.


Is it any good?

 

Most kids today likely have no idea who Muhammad Ali is, but they deserve an introduction to this charismatic, champion athlete both for his own impressive history and a better understanding of the tumultuous times in which he became The Champ. Using dazzling, sometimes rhyming prose printed in a funky font, this book pays tribute to Ali's own fancy footwork and clever taunts. At the same time, it effectively shares Ali's humble beginnings and credits his commitment and impressive tenacity in helping him persevere.

Ali was more than an athlete, and his story is an impressive one. Smart, charismatic and driven, he stood up for what he believed in (refusing the draft) in spite of being threatened with prison. However your family looks back at those difficult times, his story is a good way to explore American history. Parents may want to give it a read-through before story time to prepare themselves for age-appropriate discussions about race, religion, or the Vietnam War. Or perhaps kids will be more focused on the vibrant, choppy, colorful pictures that -- like the font and liberal quotes -- help convey the action as well as the difficulties of that time.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why Ali was able to persevere. What character traits do they see in him that allowed him to overcome so many obstacles?


This review was written by Dawn Friedman

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This review was written by Dawn Friedman
Author:Tonya Bolden
Book type:Non-Fiction
Genre:Biography
Publisher:Knopf
Publication date:December 28, 2004
Number of pages:40
Hardcover price:$17.95
Paperback price:$6.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7
Read aloud:4
Read alone:8

This review was written by Dawn Friedman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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