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by Matt Wallace (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

A moving and triumphant middle grade contemporary debut from award-winning author Matt Wallace about a heroic young girl--who dreams of becoming a pro wrestler--learning to find courage and fight for what she loves. Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds' Track series!

MJ knows what it means to hurt. Bruises from gymnastics heal, but big hurts--like her dad not being around anymore--don't go away. Now her mom needs to work two jobs, and MJ doesn't have friends at school to lean on. There is only one thing MJ loves: the world of professional wrestling. She especially idolizes the luchadores and the stories they tell in the ring.

When MJ learns that her neighbor, Mr. Arellano, runs a wrestling school, she has a new mission in life: join the school, train hard, and become a wrestler. But trouble lies ahead. After wrestling in a showcase event, MJ attracts the attention of Mr. Arellano's enemy at the State Athletic Commission. There are threats to shut the school down, putting MJ's new home--and the community that welcomed her--at risk.

What can MJ do to save her new family?

Select format:
Paperback
$9.99

ALA/Booklist

The characters and events are rendered with all the beautifully unambiguous melodrama of a wrestling angle: loathsome bad guys, dramatic promos, and undeniably exciting action. Young fans will cherish gaining a deeper understanding of “sports entertainment”—and of the Mexican-wrestling tradition of lucha libre—and newcomers, too, will find in MJ a baby face worth cheering for.

Review quotes

Adult fantasy writer Wallace draws on his own wrestling background to make MJ's every physically punishing step forward a visceral experience for sports-story enthusiasts, and her steady movement toward independence and the acceptance of her father's death will gratify middle grades domestic drama readers.—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063007994
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date
January 04, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039030 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Death & Dying
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
JUV032160 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Wrestling
Library of Congress categories
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