Author: Robert SharenowTitle: The Berlin Boxing Club
Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 2011
Number of Pages: 416
Geographical Setting: Berlin, Germany
Time Period: mid - late 1930's
Plot Summary: Karl Stern's family does not practice religion, he has never been in a synagogue, nor does he look Jewish, so he does not think of himself as a Jew. But he is, in a time when it is becoming dangerous to be known as a Jew in Berlin. Karl's father owns an art gallery, and Karl is a talented cartoonist so, he has always had a calm artistic nature, but following an attack by classmates, because of his heritage, he starts to see the importance of standing up for himself and his family. Enter Max Schmeling, a famous German boxer who knows Karl's father from WWI. Karl begins taking boxing lessons from Schmeling, and as the years pass he gains confidence and finds success in the boxing ring. However, the atmosphere in Germany is getting more and more dangerous for Jewish families, and the Stern family finds themselves struggling to maintain their anonymity in a country that is against them.
Subject Headings:
Families - Germany
Schmeling, Max -- 1905-2005
Nazis -- Juvenile Fiction
Jews -- Germany -- History -- 1933-1945 --Juvenile Fiction
Appeal: This book is fast paced, and written with a serious and dramatic tone. There are a few light hearted moments, but overall, the feeling of unease is noticeable throughout the novel. The main characters are a Jewish family living in Germany during the years leading up to the beginning of World War 2.
3 terms to describe this book: suspenseful, historical, sad
Similar authors & Works:
Non-Fiction -
Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling and a world on the brink by David Margolick - This book discusses the legendary fight between Louis and Schmeling and the implications it had on a world facing war.
Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - This book tells the story of a generation of German youth who devoted their energy to the Hitler Youth and the youth that resisted the Nazi movement.
Hitler's last days: the death of the Nazi regime and the world's most notorious dictator by Bill O'Reilly - This book offers photographs and information that is written for both youth and adults.
Fiction -
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - A German girl steals books to help her family and the young Jewish man they are hiding.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Jon Boyne - Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence - at Auschwitz.
Somewhere There is Still a Son by Michael Gruenbaum - Twelve-year-old Michael and his family are deported from Prague to the Terezin concentration camp, where his mother's will and ingenuity keep them from being transported to Auschwitz and certain death.
I have always enjoyed books about WW1 and WW2, and I honestly think that YA does one of the best jobs at writing about them. The Boy Who Dares, The Book Thief, Salt to the Sea, and others I am forgetting are fantastic YA war books. I think the one you wrote about here also sounds very well written and has a different take on the war with boxing.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed books about WW1 and WW2, and I honestly think that YA does one of the best jobs at writing about them. The Boy Who Dares, The Book Thief, Salt to the Sea, and others I am forgetting are fantastic YA war books. I think the one you wrote about here also sounds very well written and has a different take on the war with boxing.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really great book that would interest both teens and adults. It sounds like it does a good job of conveying the gravity of life during that time period. I enjoy books like this, so this might be a good one for me and my 14 year old to read together over the summer to discuss. Great annotation!
ReplyDeleteI recommended it to my 13 year old as well!
DeleteYou have provided a great list of similar fiction and nonfiction books. This sounds like a great book to read about this period. I feel that there have been a great number of YA novels in the past few years on this period in history. Good notation!.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting storyline for a book. You do well in your annotation of outlining the importance of history in the book and the connections the book makes with coming-of-age in such a turbulent time.
ReplyDeleteGreat annotation! This is one of the books I'll be reading this summer with my teens. Full points!
ReplyDelete