All the stars for Kwame Alexander's poetry; less stars because it was hard listening to tell whose POV you were listening to. Also never felt like we got to know Lucky as a character - his voice wasn't very distinct and his chapters were kind of annoying interruptions to Cassius's compelling narrative. Highly recommend reading AND listening at the same time, if you can. It's easier to keep the characters straight, Kwame Alexander has a great narrator voice, and you get to enjoy the amazing illus...

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander is an incredible biographical middle grade/young authors read that tells Muhammad Ali’s story as a child growing up in Louisville. I’m a huge fan of Ali the person and sports icon. I devoured this book & loved every word of prose & verse written. Even if you don’t know much about Ali I still can’t recommend this book enough! #mcdreads

WOOOW. Confession: this might be the only Patterson book I read and that’s because it’s co-authored with Kwame Alexander. I absolutely loved this book. The cadence of Cassius’ pieces mirroring the rhythm of a fighter in the ring was BEAUTIFUL. The illustrations woven in were GORGEOUS. And, the story was just BRILLIANT. I loved it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I previewed this as a potential read aloud for my students and it is perfect! Very engaging subject (especially if you have a reluctant reader) and lots of great discussions will be had. It's written in prose so it is easily accessible for struggling students.

Audiobook - Kwame Alexander does an amazing job with the narration. The audiobook is enjoyable but you miss the pictures and the visuals of the lines written in verse.This book tells the story of the childhood and early boxing career of Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay). It is written by both James Patterson and Kwame Alexander alternately in the form of prose and verse. The pictures help tell the story and are very well done. The story helps kids understand the discrimination and racism Cassius and

I love watching documentaries or films about the life of Muhammad Ali and this is the best biographical account I’ve read specifically written for young people about his younger days and commitment to being champion. Told in the kind of verse I can imagine Ali himself saying, and then prose through the voice of his friend, I think this makes the Ali message accessible to this new generation of 8+ kids. I can’t wait to look up some information and images to back this one up to sell to my kids at

it was good i like how it talked about him growing up to be Muhammad Ali

If you have a kid who enjoys The Crossover series, I highly recommend you pass this book their way. Told partly in prose by Cassius's friend, Lucky, and partly in verse from Cassius himself, we see how this charismatic young boy with a drive to be the best started on his journey toward a successful boxing career. I found the story inspiring, as many kids dream of becoming a household name from a professional career in sports. This demonstrates the hard work that went into training, but also show...

Well that was so interesting and well written. From the documentaries I've seen about the great Muhammad Ali I feel like his spirit was captured incredibly well in this book! Perfect for NZ Y6 through to Y9!

Alexander’s books excite me every time. It was new for me to read one of Kwame’s books that was based on a real person. While KA’s books are relatable and relevant, Im looking forward to hopefully seeing more historical writing from him. I’m not sure which parts were Patterson’s responsibility, but it all worked. A great way to dig deeper into a Black American, and heroic figure. I hope middle to YA readers will pick this up.

Becoming Muhammad Ali is a fictionalized middle-grade/young adult story/biography written in verse. The book included beautiful artwork between the pages, and the chapters are cleverly titled Rounds - as in boxing. Kwame Alexander had an intensive bibliography and consulted with Ali’s family, friends, and neighbors to include intimate details about his childhood and teenage years. I watched an interview, and Alexander asserted it’s his favorite book he’s written to date. I can tell because I bel...

Kwame Alexander's writing does justice to Ali's swagger.

Powerful, poetic and inspiring, it belongs in all collections.

Do you know who was Cassius Clay?But we sure do know the great boxing champion the world has ever seen: the one and only boxing legend who lived, Muhammad Ali!The book is a biographical book in verse written amazingly with hard-hitting words which presented exactly what the characters would have felt during the times of struggle, all the pain and efforts, the wins and the joy of overcoming all the ruthless discrimination and racism Cassius Clay had to face ever since he was a kid. I love how the...

5 stars!!! Perfect execution. Kwame’s verse is a spot on representation of Muhammad Ali’s wit and ego. I loved the dual perspective narrative, giving us a glimpse at how Cassius Clay’s best friend saw him growing up. The illustrations are a plus. This will be a hit among my students.eGalley provided by Edelweiss; ELC provided by Libro.fm

Like The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship between a Boy and a Baseball Legend, this is an accessible biography for younger readers and tweens. A collaboration between Kwame Alexander and James Patterson, it tells about Muhammad Ali's early years as a youth in Louisville, Kentucky. Kids will enjoy the short chapters and interspersed illustrations.

It was a good book.

Where I'm From (p. 28-29)I am from black Cadillacsfrom plastic-covered sofasin tiny pink houses.I am from the one bathroomwe all sharedand the living roomyou stayed out of.I am from Friday fried fishand chocolate birthday cakes from Levy Brothers’ slacksand shiny white shoes, from Cash and Bird,from storytellers and good looks,from don’t say you can’t till you try…Alexander writes in poetry from Muhammad Ali's perspective as the young Cassius Clay. Patterson writes in prose from the perspec...

As always learning anything about Muhammad Ali is a treat. I listened to the audiobook version of this and the narrator did not do a good job of transitioning between perspectives. It was hard to know who was narrating when leading to confusion and a huge drop in my appreciation of the book.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusBorn in 1942, young Cassius Clay grew up with a supportive family in Louisville, Kentucky but had to deal with the racism and prejudice of the South during this time. This book unfolds with prose narration from the point of view of his best friend, Lucky, and then has first person commentary in Alexander's verse. There are also illustrations between chapters, which will appeal to readers who like graphic novels. In a style vaguely reminiscent of the Childhood of F...