Fighting Ruben Wolfe

Author:Markus Zusak

ISBN:978-0439241878

Publication Information:Push

Plot Summary: Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are two brothers trying to get by in life. Their family has hit a low point, their father was injured on the job, and hasn't been able to get work since. Their sister is going a little wild, giving their neighbors and school mates something to gossip about, and Cameron and Ruben generally just have too much time on their hands. One day, a classmate goes too far in insulting Cameron and Ruben's sister, and Ruben goes crazy. Word about his skills as a fighter quickly spread and soon both Ruben and Cameron are employed as boxers in an illegal fight night. Ruben morphs into lean mean "Fighting Ruben Wolfe", while Cameron is nicknamed "The Underdog," for his ability to continue to get back up no matter how hard the punch. Will Ruben ever lose a fight? Can Cameron continue to get back up? Most importantly, will the Wolfe family pull through during this time of crisis?

Critical Evaluation: Zusak certainly knows how to get the attention of teenage boys. He perfectly captures the voice of two young brothers that are just trying to get through life, with themselves and their family intact. The plot on boxing seems especially inspired in terms of wooing teen boys into reading his book. The boxing scenes are gritty while still being poetic, violent without being gruesome or gory. The pacing is fast, and the plot comes to a neat conclusion. This book may not be the best piece of YA fiction ever written, but it is a great recommendation for YA boys, particularly boys that are interested in sports, or reluctant to read anything too "girly."

Reader's Annotation:When Ruben and Cameron Wolfe are approached by a man who runs an illegal boxing ring, it is clear that a crossroads in the brother's lives has been reached. Will boxing send Rube and Cameron on a path to self discovery? Or will they end up beaten to a bloody pulp? Only time will tell.

Author Information: Markus Zusak is the author of four other books: Getting the Girl (the sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe), The Underdog (a prequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe, no longer in print), I Am The Messenger and The Book Thief. His latest book, Bridge of Clay is due to be released next year. He lives in Sydney, Australia with his family. (Taken from the author's website http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/index.html)

Curricular Ties:n/a

Genre:Issues, Sports

Book talking ideas:

• Why did Ruben decide to take the job as a boxer? Was it just about money or is it about something deeper?
• Why did Ruben vouch for Cameron? Why was it so important to Ruben that Cameron also be included?
• Why was the dole such an important part of the book? Why was going or not going on the dole such a difficult decision for Mr. Wolfe and the whole Wolfe family to make?
  

Challenge issues:violence

• Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
• Check the library for specific policies on challenged books.
• Check the ALA website for advice on how to respond and react when a book has been challenged. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm)
  
• Find positive reviews from reputable websites.
• Ask the challenger for their specific objections and try to address them using information from the above research.

Interest Age:Grades 9 and up

Why I selected this piece: Zusak's The Book Thief was such a compelling read that I went out and read all of Zusak's books.