Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali

Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali

by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier. 2007. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. (9780763616922). 

Media: watercolor and collage

Author Website: http://www.charlesrsmithjr.com/

Illustrator Website: http://bryancollier.com/
 

Awards and Honors: Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Children

Annotation: An original and ambitious biography of Muhammad Ali, written in poetic free form verse.

Personal Reaction:

    Twelve Rounds to Glory tells the story of Muhammad Ali, one of the world's greatest heavyweight champions. Written entirely in poetic verse, it follows Ali from his birth as Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, through his legendary bouts, to his current fight with Parkinson's disease. Charles Smith divides Ali's story into 12 chapters that he calls "rounds". At turns entertaining, tragic and inspiring, this book is a comprehensive look at his boxing career, though the most revealing and interesting portions deal with his personal life. His childhood, his personal convictions and his opposition to the war in Vietnam are the parts that really shine here, providing a portrait of a deep and complex man. Bryan Collier's dark and moody collage illustrations give the book a serious tone that lends it to use with older students.