This book tells the story of Joe Rantz. It serves as an account of his youth in the middle of the Great Depression, especially when he was rowing at the University of Washington. In the book, we learn about the hardships he endured and the challenges he had to overcome in order to row with his teammates, and, more importantly, trust his teammates, at the Olympics of 1936 in Hitler's Germany. It follows Joe through 3 years of hard collegiate rowing, of being discriminated because of how poor he was, and of him bonding with the members of the crew that would eventually row together at the Olympics. The focus, however, is not really on the Nazis; Joe and his teammates are blissfuly unaware of the persecution of races deemed 'inferior' by the Nazis, although the book does delve into the attempts of Leni Riefanstahl, maker of propaganda films highlighting the Aryan race at the Olympics. The focus is on Joe's story, how he was abandoned as a child and rose through hard work and perseverance to become whole again through rowing. It paints a picture of a time long gone, of men and women who have since passed on: their struggles, their triumphs, their journeys. It tells of the boys rowing. It had a melancholy, reflective epilogue. It had funny descriptions of events that happened, in a tongue in cheek, wry way. It drew me in. Through the 500 or so pages, I was never bored: the descriptions of the various regattas were especially suspenseful. And above all, it gave me a deeper appreciation of hard work and teamwork and trust. I recommend it to fans of narrative nonfiction or sports stories.
The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics
By Daniel James Brown
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 10 - 9 | n/a | 6.9 | 51857 |
For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.
At the center of the tale is Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, whose personal quest captures the spirit of his generation—the generation that would prove in the coming years that the Nazis could not prevail over American determination and optimism.
This deeply emotional yet easily accessible young readers adaptation of the award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller features never-before-seen photographs, highly visual back matter, and an exclusive new introduction.
Book Reviews (2)
1933. The Great Depression is raging all throughout America. Banks were going bankrupt, families were being split up, and Hoover towns were everywhere. Hitler was preparing for war, and the 1936 Olympics were coming up. Throughout all of these major events however, Joe Rantz can only think of three things; money, Joyce (his girlfriend, future wife), and college. As Joe struggles to make ends meet, he joins the Washington Crew team hoping to get an athletic scholarship. Little did he know that this decision, made entirely by chance, would change his life forever. Joe joins the freshman team, along with 7 other boys Don Hume, Joseph Rantz, George E. Hunt, James B. McMillin, John G. White, Gordon B. Adam, Charles Day, Roger Morris, and the coxswain Robert G. Moch. They start off as a ragtag team, not working together, slacking off, and always being beaten by the sophomore, and varsity team. Later on however, something clicks, and they become a real team. The next thing Joe knows, he’s at the California vs. Washington game, the Poughkeepsie Regatta. Joe thinks that the Poughkeepsie Regatta is the most exciting and important race of his career. Little did he know however, that the Poughkeepsie Regatta was just the beginning… Join Joe Rantz as he conquers challenges and defies expectations, both on the water and on land; it's time to join the boys in the boat. I thought that The Boys in the Boat was a good book. For an informational book, it was very interesting, and I liked how Daniel Brown wrote the information more like a story, verus just listing facts. I also like how he mentioned Joe’s childhood and life before joining the crew team, instead of just focusing solely on the Olympics. Another thing that I liked was how Daniel Brown also included chapters about Hitler’s ideas and the Nazi’s point of view. The pictures in the book were all pretty good, and helped express the story’s idea. The epilog was also very interesting and helped conclude the story well. The thing that I disliked the most was that the main story was told only in Joe’s point of view. I thought the book would've been even better if every chapter was told in a different crew member’s point of view, not just Joe’s. However, it was nice that Daniel Brown included short lines and quotes from the other boys in the boat’s journals. Overall, the Boys in the Boat was pretty good, and I would recommend it to a friend.