March 1, 2018
Gr 4-7-Mikayla and Lev are two unlikely allies thrown together as wrestling partners. For Mikayla, wrestling is in her family's blood. Ever since her parents divorced, she has been determined to wrestle like her brothers in order to keep her father's attention. When she is not allowed to join her older brothers' team, the Eagles, her mom signs her up for the Gladiators. There she meets Lev, who has been steadily improving as a wrestler and has his eye on the state tournament this year. He is afraid that having a female wrestling partner will not give him the challenge he needs to get to the next level. Together they form an unlikely friendship, though always keeping in mind that only one of them can win at the end of the year. The story is heavy on wrestling action and jargon, which will please fans of the sport. Themes about building friendships, adjusting to new family situations, and weighing moral decisions add complexity. The characters are in their first year of middle school, which will appeal to both upper elementary and younger middle school audiences. VERDICT This is a solid choice for middle grade collections looking to diversify their sports fiction selections.-Carli Sauer, Carmel Middle School, IN
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 1, 2018
Sixth-graders Lev and Mikayla are both wrestlers. They narrate in their own voices in alternating chapters, often overlapping in time and perspective, allowing readers into their thoughts and concerns, for they are wrestling with middle school friendships and family dynamics as well as on the mat. Mikayla believes that her divorced father spends all his time on her big brothers' wrestling practices and tournaments. If she joins a team, maybe he will value her more. The prejudice of her brothers' coach forces her on to a different team, the Gladiators. There she meets Lev, who reluctantly becomes her training partner. Lev is haunted by his failure last year to make the state tournament and is determined to get there this year. Lev is Jewish, and his best friend is a Chinese boy who loves music. Mikayla is a white Christian whose best friend is a biracial brown girl who loves to work with theatrical makeup. Their diversity is treated matter-of-factly, accepted as part of what makes them unique. Although the jargon of wrestling is not always clearly defined, readers will find the action exciting. The characters, both adults and children, are well-developed and likable. Not everything is wrapped up neatly, but there are some twists that will satisfy readers.Mikayla and Lev are winners. (Fiction. 9-12)
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April 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 Along with best friend Kenna, Mikayla is joining her first traveling wrestling league. Preferring to wrestle under the name Mickey, she's angry when the coach of the Eagles, the team her brothers wrestled with, declares he won't accept girls, and Kenna admits that she wants to join the drama club instead. With limited options, Mickey joins the Gladiators team. Lev, a Gladiator, is determined to make it to state championships this year and plans to train hard. However, he feels his goals are hampered when Coach pairs him with Mickey?a girl! Shovan has written a sports book that will appeal to all genders and non-sports-fans alike, who will be drawn into Mickey's struggle to be seen as a wrestler (not a female wrestler) and Lev's grappling with the realization that wrestling may not be his true passion. As the chapters alternate between the characters' perspectives, readers will quickly become invested, particularly when the tweens' goals eventually merge and they discover that a true wrestler is anyone with the courage to step on the mat.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2019
Sixth-grade wrestling partners Lev and Mikayla (Mickey) each face challenges at home and school, but both are determined to win a state title. Brief chapters alternate between the unlikely boy-girl friends; Mickey is a particularly strong female role model, but both characters are likable. Although (accessible) wrestling vernacular abounds, this is a story of family and friendship as much as it is a sports novel.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)