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MUHAMMAD ALI AN AMERICAN CHAMPION
Unit 2.3 (1/class)
For fast-paced true tales of extraordinary lives, turn to Capstone’s Graphic Biographies set. These graphic novel format biographies inspire, entertain, and inform readers about individuals who have made significant contributions to society. An additional information section provides key facts and further understanding.
CHAMPION STORY OF MUHHAMMAD ALI
Unit 2.3 (1/pair)
“I am the greatest! I am the king!”
Muhammad Ali was one of the most electrifying, inspiring, and confrontational athletes of his generation. At the height of his boxing career, Ali was as despised as he was adored. Loud and aggressive as well as confident and dedicated, he was the quintessential showman, the undeniable champion of his sport, and one of the most recognizable faces in the world. He was challenged at every turn: faced with racial discrimination in his everyday life, mocked by the sports media as his career began, ridiculed for adopting a new religion, and stripped by the U.S. government of his very livelihood for refusing to go to war.
Muhammad Ali faced the obstacles in his life the way he faced his opponents in the ring, brashly and with all the force at his command. In his private life, he was also deeply spiritual, committed to standing up against social injustice, and steadfast in his beliefs. Featuring stunning illustrations and covering his entire life from childhood through his professional career to his end of life battle with Parkinson’s Syndrome, this is a moving tribute to the legacy of this impressive figure.
LOCOMOTION
Unit 1.2 (1/student)
Finalist for the National Book Award
When Lonnie was seven years old, his parents died in a fire. Now he’s eleven, and he still misses them terribly. And he misses his little sister, Lili, who was put into a different foster home because “not a lot of people want boys-not foster boys that ain’t babies.” But Lonnie hasn’t given up. His foster mother, Miss Edna, is growing on him. She’s already raised two sons and she seems to know what makes them tick. And his teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper.
Told entirely through Lonnie’s poetry, we see his heartbreak over his lost family, his thoughtful perspective on the world around him, and most of all his love for Lili and his determination to one day put at least half of their family back together. Jacqueline Woodson’s poignant story of love, loss, and hope is lyrically written and enormously accessible.
FOSTER FAMILIES
Unit 1.2 (1/student)
This book looks at how foster families are made and how they might thrive.
MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS
Unit 2.2 (1/student)
The story of a daring tightrope walk between skyscrapers, as seen in Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky. This picture book captures the poetry and magic of the event with a poetry of its own: lyrical words and lovely paintings that present the detail, daring, and–in two dramatic foldout spreads– the vertiginous drama of Petit’s feat.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is the winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal, the winner of the 2004 Boston Globe – Horn Book Award for Picture Books, and the winner of the 2006 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video.
PEOPLE'S CHAMPION
Unit 2.3 (1/class)
This acclaimed picture book biography is a perfect introduction to the late great Muhammad Ali
New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers explores Muhammad Ali’s life and recounts his most famous fights in this celebrated picture book biography.
Myers examines the depth and complexity of the larger-than-life legend and heavyweight champion of the world, and the bold, vibrant art of Alix Delinois reflects the beauty and power of the man who could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Reviewers praised this book as “powerful,” “action-filled,” and “dramatic.”
BIG NOTHING
Unit 2.2 (1/student)
When everyone that Justin depends on lets him down, he begins discovering himself with the help of a new friend and some newly found talents.
Alone. That’s how thirteen-year-old Justin feels these days. His older brother Duane has left home, enlisting in the Army, and his father has walked out, maybe for good this time. His mom is too depressed to get out of bed. And if that’s not enough, his best buddy Ben has a new girlfriend and no longer has time to hang out. There’s not much left for Justin to do but to put his brain in neutral and slide into the state he calls “the Big Nothing.”
But slowly Justin discovers he has more resources than he thinks. With the help of his classmate Jemmie and her grandmother, Nana Grace, he learns that underneath all the noisy confusion in his brain lies a talent for music. As he spends time with Jemmie, he begins to understand how simple notes make complex music, and how simple feelings can turn into deep emotions.
Award-winning author Adrian Fogelin once again offers readers an emotionally charged story featuring a sympathetic adolescent trying to make sense of the people and world around him.
Middle School Confidential
Unit 1.1 (1/student)
“Hey. We go to Milldale Middle School. We’re very different in lots of ways, but we’re all good friends. A couple months ago, we were just hanging out when these kids came over . . .” So begins the journey of Jack, Jen, Chris, Abby, Mateo, and Michelle—six students just trying to figure it all out in middle school. Be Confident in Who You Are, the first book in the new Middle School Confidential series, follows these characters as they work to meet new challenges and survive the social scene—without losing sight of who they are. The book offers insider information on common middle school concerns and practical advice for being healthy, feeling good about who you are, and staying in control of your feelings and actions—even when the pressure is on. Filled with character narratives, quizzes, quotes from real kids, tips, tools, and resources, this book is a timely and engaging survival guide for the middle school years.