Twelve Rounds to Glory (12 Rounds to Glory): The Story of Muhammad Ali

A dynamic author-illustrator team follows the threetime heavyweight champ through twelve rounds of a remarkable life.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. . . . I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived!

From the moment a fired-up teenager from Kentucky won 1960 Olympic gold to the day in 1996 when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson's, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as The Greatest waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and against a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. Charles R. Smith Jr.'s rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs with relentless energy, while Bryan Collier's bold collage artwork matches every move -- capturing the Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali.
Back matter includes a timeline.

Author: Charles R. Smith Jr.
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 11/13/2007
Pages: 80
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.77lbs
Size: 10.05h x 11.25w x 0.53d
ISBN: 9780763616922
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.1
Point Value: 1
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 119229 / Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali


Award: Coretta Scott King Award - Honor Book


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Review - Children 11/01/2007 pg. 1153
School Library Journal 12/01/2007 pg. 158
Publishers Weekly 12/24/2007 pg. 56
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2008 pg. 119
Voice of Youth Advocates 02/01/2008 pg. 557 - Reviewed - More Editing Needed
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2008 pg. 307
Booklist 02/01/2008 pg. 55
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2008 pg. 164 - Superior,Well Above Average
Multicultural Review 03/01/2008 pg. 82
New York Times Book Review 05/11/2008 pg. 16

About the Author
Charles R. Smith Jr. is the author of Hoop Queens and its companion, Hoop Kings. He also wrote and illustrated the American Library Association Notable Book Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms, among other titles. Charles R. Smith Jr. lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Bryan Collier is the illustrator of several award-winning books, including Uptown, A Freedom River, Martin's Big Words, and Visiting Langston, all winners of the Coretta Scott King Award (USA). He lives in New York, USA.


This title is only available via back order