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Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
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Searching... East Library | Children's Book | SHOV | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | SHOV | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Discover what happens when one girl wants to break barriers in a sport dominated by boys in this exciting and thoughtful novel by the author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary.
Mikayla is a wrestler; when you grow up in a house full of brothers who wrestle, it's inevitable. It's also a way to stay connected to her oldest brother, Evan, who moved in with their dad. Some people object to having a girl on the team. But that's not stopping Mikayla. She's determined to work harder than ever, and win.
Lev is determined to make it to the state championships this year. He's used to training with his two buddies as the Fearsome Threesome; they know how to work together. At the beginning of sixth grade, he's paired with a new partner--a girl. This better not get in the way of his goal.
Mikayla and Lev work hard together and become friends. But when they face each other, only one of them can win.
"A kick-out story about family, friendship, and wrestling down stereotypes. Mikayla Delgado rocks!" --Wendelin Van Draanen, author of Flipped, the Sammy Keyes series, and The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones
"Kids struggle every day with the dynamics of high expectations, performance standards, and social relationships. Takedown is a great example of how the sport of wrestling can help everyone involved conquer these challenges and appreciate some of life's most valuable lessons." --Kyle Snyder, Olympic wrestling gold medalist
Author Notes
Laura Shovan's debut middle-grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, was a NCTE 2017 Notable Verse Novel and a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, and won a Cybils Award for poetry, as well a Nerdy Book Club award. Her son's experiences as a member of a travel wrestling team were the inspiration for Takedown. Laura and her family live in Maryland, where she is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council. Visit her online at laurashovan.com, or follow her on on Facebook and on Twitter at @LauraShovan.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Mikayla and Lev are two unlikely allies thrown together as wrestling partners. For Mikayla, wrestling is in her family's blood. Ever since her parents divorced, she has been determined to wrestle like her brothers in order to keep her father's attention. When she is not allowed to join her older brothers' team, the Eagles, her mom signs her up for the Gladiators. There she meets Lev, who has been steadily improving as a wrestler and has his eye on the state tournament this year. He is afraid that having a female wrestling partner will not give him the challenge he needs to get to the next level. Together they form an unlikely friendship, though always keeping in mind that only one of them can win at the end of the year. The story is heavy on wrestling action and jargon, which will please fans of the sport. Themes about building friendships, adjusting to new family situations, and weighing moral decisions add complexity. The characters are in their first year of middle school, which will appeal to both upper elementary and younger middle school audiences. VERDICT This is a solid choice for middle grade collections looking to diversify their sports fiction selections.-Carli Sauer, Carmel Middle School, IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Along with best friend Kenna, Mikayla is joining her first traveling wrestling league. Preferring to wrestle under the name Mickey, she's angry when the coach of the Eagles, the team her brothers wrestled with, declares he won't accept girls, and Kenna admits that she wants to join the drama club instead. With limited options, Mickey joins the Gladiators team. Lev, a Gladiator, is determined to make it to state championships this year and plans to train hard. However, he feels his goals are hampered when Coach pairs him with Mickey a girl! Shovan has written a sports book that will appeal to all genders and non-sports-fans alike, who will be drawn into Mickey's struggle to be seen as a wrestler (not a female wrestler) and Lev's grappling with the realization that wrestling may not be his true passion. As the chapters alternate between the characters' perspectives, readers will quickly become invested, particularly when the tweens' goals eventually merge and they discover that a true wrestler is anyone with the courage to step on the mat.--Tomsu, Lindsey Copyright 2018 Booklist