I Am Muhammad Ali: Ordinary People Change the World
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Upbeat bio of "The Greatest" features courage, principles.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In words and lively illustrations, I AM MUHAMMAD ALI takes its pint-sized hero from his birth as a Black kid in the South to the Rumble in the Jungle: his epic championship boxing match with George Foreman in Zaire. Often experiencing segregation and other racial injustice as a child, he discovers another world when he stumbles into a boxing gym and finds Black and White athletes working, sparring, and striving together with no regard for skin tone. Persistence and hard work take him to the Olympics, where he wins a gold medal and returns home to face still more discrimination but becomes the heavyweight champion of the world. Converting to Islam, he refuses to be drafted for the Vietnam War, leading to much personal and legal trouble, including the loss of his title -- but he stands by his principles.
Is It Any Good?
This is an engaging portrait of a hero who stands firm at enormous personal cost and goes on to become "The Greatest." Author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopolous spotlight the noted boxer and civil rights icon whose hard work, persistence, and determination in standing by his principles raised him to legendary status. Part of the Ordinary People Change the World series, I Am Muhammad Ali is overly rosy in spots -- for example, the authors focus on relatable issues like being a kid on the receiving end of discrimination, and portray the boxing world as a paradise of interracial harmony, never mentioning the physical injuries and brain damage Ali sustained as a result of his career path.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about I Am Muhammad Ali and stories of other figures from the sports world who had an important impact on the world outside their sport. What athletes do you know who work for causes that matter to them? Do you like it and want to learn more about their cause, or do you think they should stick with their sport?
Why does it matter to stand up for what you know is right, even when you're facing terrible pressure to just give in and go along? Do you know anyone who's been in this situation? How did they handle it?
Have you ever discovered a group of people who were excited about something you were excited about, and accepted you just for that without worrying about other things like your clothes, your school, your neighborhood, or your physical qualities? What happened? How did you feel?
Book Details
- Author: Brad Meltzer
- Illustrator: Christopher Eliopoulos
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Activism , Sports and Martial Arts , Great Boy Role Models , History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: February 22, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 9
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 1, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate