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| Image: Hachette Book Group |
Publisher synopsis: From two heavy-hitters in children’s literature comes a biographical novel of cultural icon Muhammad Ali, jointly published by Jimmy Patterson Books and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.
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 12. 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, Becoming Muhammad Ali dynamically captures the budding charisma and youthful personality of one of the greatest sports heroes of all time.
Last fall, I visited the Muhammad Ali Center when I was in Louisville for SLJ Leadership Summit. My dad was a boxing fan and followed Ali's career, so I knew a fair amount about him. Plus, I read Walter Dean Myers' terrific biography, The Greatest: Muhammad Ali and Charles R. Smith's biography in verse, Twelve Rounds to Glory: the story of Muhammad Ali. I was touched by the care and attention to detail of every exhibit in the museum and learned a ton. I am so looking forward to reading this.
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