Mary-Todd, Jonathan. 2014. The Giant. Minneapolis: Lerner.
(Advance Reader Copy)
The Giant is the latest in the Bareknuckle series featuring young fighters in New York City, circa 1870. Luc is the giant - a hulking, kind, illiterate young man who easily wins all of his bareknuckle fights. The money he earns at the local fight club provides only shabby room and board with any small profit going to Mr. Chilton, the man who brought him from Canada to New York. Life, however, is better than it was in Quebec; and Luc is not unhappy until a stranger with boxing kangaroos joins up with Mr. Chilton. Thoughtful and kind, Luc is uncomfortable seeing the kangaroo, Genghis, forced to fight amidst the drunken crowds at the seedy Woodrat Club.
One day in Quebec, when Luc was chopping wood, a few of the others dragged a man into camp. The man had been hunting for furs when snow began to fall, covering some of the traps he'd set. Soon the man stepped into one of them. The older men brought him indoors before he could bleed out, but it took five of them together to pry the trap loose.Unaccustomed to making decisions on his own, Luc's conscience finally compels him to act independently.
Genghis's fight the night before worked like a trap on Luc. Each thought of it was painful, but he could not shake the memory. He had felt the drain throughout the morning, and he felt it in his room.
Bareknuckle is a "hi-lo" series, aimed at older, struggling or reluctant readers. There is an art to writing prose that appeals to young adults but needs only a minimal mastery of reading and vocabulary. Jonathan Mary-Todd capably handles the "hi-lo" genre. Readers will be rewarded with a compelling story of self-determination and a taste of New York history.
For teachers:
- Pages: 104
- Reading Level: 4
- Interest Level: 6-12
- Ages: 11-18
- ATOS Quiz #: 163032
- ATOS AR Points: 2.00
- ATOS: 4.90
- Lexile Level: 760
On a related topic, check out this article, "Why Aren't Teens Reading Like They Used To?"
Hi-lo books can be an option for the teen who doesn't read because he cannot read. As librarians and teachers, we should always have them on hand.
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