Great Reading: Bookmark It!

Volume 31, Number 1, October 2003.

Rosemary Chance

The Contender Returns!
Grades 6-10

The contender. Robert Lipsyte.
HarperTrophy, 2003. (Reissue.) $5.99. 0-06-447039-3.
The first book in the series introduces readers to Alfred Brooks, an African-American high school dropout who finds his way to Donatelli’s Gym where he tries to fulfill his ambition to become a champion. Mr. Donatelli tells Alfred, “…it’s the climbing that makes a man.”

The brave. Robert Lipsyte.
HarperTrophy, 2003. (Reissue.) $5.99. 0-06-447079-2.
In this second novel, Sonny Bear, a Moscondago Indian, agrees to fight for the heavyweight championship in the new casino on the reservation as a compromise over a heated dispute about legalized gambling.

The chief. Robert Lipsyte.
HarperTrophy, 2003. (Reissue.) $5.99. 0-06-447097-0.
In the third book, Sonny Bear and Alfred Brooks are once again immersed in the gritty boxing world, but both need their spirits refreshed. Bigmouth Martin Malcolm Witherspoon becomes their champion through his determination to write their story.

Warrior angel. Robert Lipsyte.
HarperCollins, 2003. $15.99. 0-06-000496-7.
This concluding novel to the series is brief as Sonny Bear fights to defend his heavyweight championship title and searches for his true self with the surprising help of Starkey, a mentally ill fan. Sonny returns to the reservation to undergo a physical ordeal as a Running Brave. He learns, “You just have to keep finding your way. Let other people help you. Help other people.”