Author: Trinka Hakes Noble
Illustrator: Nicole Tadgell
Genre: Historical Fiction Picture Book
Prime Audiences: Children Interested in Sports and History
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Year: 2019
Lots of important and serious things are happening in Gordy's life in Detroit: the Great Depression has cost his father his job; there's a new kid at school whom Gordy befriends but who's also picked on; there is "talk of war with Nazi Germany"; and Joe Louis will fight Max Schmeling again for the heavyweight title. What will be the outcome of the many battles going on around him?
A Fist for Joe Louis and Me is a story about friendship and courage, set against the backdrop of one of history's most important sporting events, the rematch between heavyweight champion Joe Louis and Germany's Max Schmeling. Trinka Hakes Noble's protagonist, Gordy, and his friend Ira are likeable boys that navigate the times together, and the other people in their lives shape them in subtle and not so subtle ways. Nicole Tadgell's illustrations don't fill each page but instead use white space and muted settings to amplify each moment of the story— the characters and their actions are always in the forefront and spotlight. The book concludes with an insightful author's note that informs the reader about Joe Louis and the significance of he and Schmeling's second fight and their surprising friendship.
Children who root for the underdog and the good at heart will enjoy the book, along with parents and grandparents who are boxing aficionados and history buffs. This book is a winner!
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