The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation)

Gr 4-7--This adaptation of the adult title The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (Viking, 2013) chronicles the powerful University of Washington crew team that took the gold in Berlin. The book centers on one untrained rower, Joe Rantz, who was working his way through college. The team was guided by the determined UW coach, Al Ulbrickson, whose obstacles to success were the rival rowing team from the University of California, Berkeley, and his own inconsistent rowers. Introductions to figures such as George Pocock, the team's boat builder, are fascinating, and the photos of races and the team help to build an understanding of this unique world. The descriptions of the team's trajectory and their tense races are suspenseful, and readers will be fully invested. Rantz is a relatable underdog. However, the accounts of his struggles and triumphs come at the expense of his teammates, who are relegated to the background, existing only as sketchy, underdeveloped figures. Brown's portrayal of the Olympic games is full of thrilling details, but it's also impersonal, with little insight into the boys' thoughts, and Nazi Germany is mentioned only briefly. A "Who's Who" at the front of the book and a time line and introduction to rowing at the back are helpful and well laid out. VERDICT Those seeking an inspiring true story or a great sports tale will be pleased with this stirring work.--Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Accolades for The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation):

- New York Times bestseller
- #1 Pacific Northwest Bookseller Assocation bestseller

"The word teamwork, which can sound humdrum to kids in coaches' droning lectures, doesn't adequately describe the connection shared by the men in that boat in 1936. Illustrated with vintage photos, this moving book offers young people a vivid sense of that shared experience. A Depression-era story with timeless appeal." —Booklist, starred review

"Offering a model of masterful nonfiction writing, Brown expertly balances the leisurely pacing of the protagonists' back stories with the exciting race scenes, related with concrete nouns, lively verbs, and short sentences, selected and adapted for this edition by Mone. Many photographs, an easy-to-read timeline, and notes on "The Art of Rowing," complete with a diagram, add visual appeal. A fine companion to Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken (2014), also about the 1936 Olympics and also adapted for young readers." —Kirkus

"Those seeking an inspiring true story or a great sports tale will be pleased with this stirring work." —School Library Journal

"It becomes almost impossible not to root for such a hardscrabble collection of underdogs as they exhibit hard work, sacrifice, teamwork, and loyalty at every stage of their collective journey to Berlin." —Horn Book

"With a lyrical flair, Brown tells the story of these men in a manner that intersperses the drama of the time period with the emotional and physical turmoil of their lives. Young adult readers may not understand or even know about the desperation of the Depression, or what it was like at the genesis of Nazi Germany, but the tale of these persistent men, each with their own personal struggle, will entice readers of all ages." —VOYA

Accolades for the adult edition of The Boys in the Boat
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- 2014 ABA Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year
- 2014 Washington State Book Award

"A suspenseful tale of triumph." —USA Today

"Evocative, cinematic prose." —Publishers Weekly

"This is Chariots of Fire with oars." —David Laskin, author of The Children's Blizzard

"A great and inspiring true story." —Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Mayflower

"A thrilling, heart-thumping tale." —Timothy Egan, author of The Worst Hard Time

"A robust, emotional snapshot of an era." —James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers