Reviews

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Peña

dinahsaur's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book to my 5th grade class. it was fantastic. it was one of those reads where every student was silent. It opened discussion about racism and world war 2. a great choice for black history month!

jaij7's review against another edition

5.0

Joe Louis's fight against Germany's Schmeling was so important for Americans. This book was an interesting look at Joe Louis's life and I absolutely love Kadir Nelson's illustrations. This is a great read.

bookgirl4ever's review against another edition

5.0

I'm not a fan of boxing (the appeal doesn't make sense to me) but this account of Joe Louis' fight against German boxer Max Schmeling during WW2 made Joe Louis seem like a superhero - someone who could symbolically beat Hitler fast and clean. The account is told in verse.

Kadir Nelson, as usual, delivers gorgeous, rich illustrations.

Middle elementary school.

emilybriano's review against another edition

5.0

Everything Kadir Nelson does is spectacular, and this is no exception. I would love to see these two pair up again.

wiseowl33's review against another edition

4.0

Love this book. Cool the way the two men became friends after the fight. That says a lot about their character.

choosejoytoday's review against another edition

4.0

Lovely illustrations depict the epic fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling during Hitler's rise to power in the late 1930s.

alysona's review against another edition

5.0

I have been in a rut lately trying to find adult books I really want to read, but who knew I really needed a kid's biography of a boxer? Very nice story and Nelson's illustrations are amazing as always.

beecheralyson's review against another edition

5.0

De la Pena's text accompanied by Nelson's illustrations makes for one powerful story about Joe Louis' most famous fight. Highly recommend it if you are a Nelson fan or want to add to a collection.

yapha's review against another edition

4.0

Nominated for a 2015-2016 California Young Reader's Medal in the Picture Books for Older Readers category.

abigailbat's review against another edition

2.0

An inspiring story about boxing that's much more than a story about boxing. Kadir Nelson's illustrations are magnificent, as per usual. The illustrations and text work together to create something bigger than either one alone. And yet, there is ABSOLUTELY NO BACK MATTER (bibliography, source note, author's note, illustrator's note, timeline, information about the impending war, information about racial tensions of this time, etc.). And I find that completely unacceptable and it irreparably mars the book for me.

http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2011/04/nations-hope-story-of-joe-louis.html