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Takedown Laura Shovan 9780553521412 Books

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Takedown Laura Shovan 9780553521412 Books

I knew that Laura Shovan's new book, just out, would be good. Her first novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, is marvelous and so creative. So now, Takedown, about wrestling? I have a nephew who wrestled and while I liked watching and rooting for him, it isn't a favorite sport. However, from the first two chapters, I was captured by the lives of Mikayla (Mickey) and Lev, two opposites, two who will be thrown together by their love of wrestling. Both are hanging out in their lives at the beginning of middle school; both are pre-teens. And the friendships each thought were set in cement begin to crumble. This pre-puberty time means change, and it's no different for these two. For most of the book, wrestling on a more competitive "travel" team fills each of their lives, along with family and school and friendships. Inside, Mikayla wishes her father would pay more attention to her own wrestling as he does for her two older brothers' wrestling. Inside, Lev wishes his older sister would pay more attention to him as she used to do.
These are only two of the troubles these two young middle-schoolers face. Mickey stays strong in her quest to be a great wrestler, but it's a fight often with unhappy consequences because she's a girl. Lev's nerves continue to be an inner struggle so he finds that writing and doodling in a notebook helps. His poetry is important, though he hesitates to share.
Laura beautifully lets Lev and Mickey share their thoughts in alternating chapters, each time making me want to find out more. What will Mickey do when she discovers her best friend Kenna wants to quit wrestling and move on to other fun in school, and with other friends? "Kenna studies my face. Now she has this secret life with a vocabulary I know nothing about. Until middle school started, we were always together. How different could we be after just a few weeks? A lot. I tell myself." What will Lev do when he discovers Mickey, a girl, is going to be his practice partner? "I follow Mickey to the gym. "My sister says you're thinking about quitting."/"What do you care?"/"You're good," I tell her. "For a first-year Gladiator, you're really good." Laura manages to help us find sympathy for both and to root for them as they navigate their lives that aren't so simple anymore.
The basic plot is there, making us readers ask what will happen to both these young people who are growing up and finding that what used to be isn't necessarily going to stay. These people in the lives of Lev and Mikayla are regular people who struggle in their own lives. From old friends to beloved family members, we come to care for them, too, and that makes a marvelous story of a few months in the lives of two middle schoolers. I'm very glad that Laura wrote about wrestling, and Lev and Mikayla, too!


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Takedown Laura Shovan 9780553521412 Books Reviews

I loved this book! Mikayla and Lev were so real and so relatable, I became wrapped up in their stories right away and had a hard time putting this book down. They each had their own unforgettable journey on their way to finding out who they really were, each with their own set of challenges.

Oh! And I just have to say, I am not the biggest sports fan in the world, but the wrestling matches and practice sessions were written so vividly that they were easy and fun to follow.

Beyond that, family and friendship issues were explored beautifully. Both Mikayla and Lev had awesome, strong friendships outside of wrestling, and even if they didn't always run smoothly, they worked hard to preserve them. I also loved the way this book explored not only child/parent relationships, but the dynamics between younger siblings and teen siblings.

From beginning to end, this was just a really cool book, and I definitely plan on sharing it with my students!
To be fair, she had me at "female wrestler." I'm on the quest to read more books about sporty girls, and "The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary," Laura Shovan's debut novel in verse was one of my favorites of 2016. So, when I heard about TAKEDOWN, I knew I had to get my hands on an copy. It's told in chapters that alternate between Mickey (real name Mikayla), a girl wrestler, and Lev, the boy who starts off as her wrestling partner and becomes a true friend.

Now, admittedly, I know next to nothing about wrestling when I started the book, but now I feel like I actually do! The wrestling scenes are vividly imagined, with enough explanation to clue in a wrestling noob like me.

As an author of a sporty book, I know that the sports story must be balanced with other elements for readers who might not be a huge sports fan, and Shovan does this so well. The contrasting depictions of Lev's and Mickey's families add depth and heart the story. Kids who grow up in sporty households will recognize Mickey's experience with her older brothers and father, all wrestlers. And kids who see how much their family's schedule becomes dominated by endless after school activities and sports practices and car rides and competitions will see this over-scheduled reality reflected in Lev's yearning for the quieter family times, like their traditional Shabbat dinner.

This is a fantastic story that will serve so many purposes in classroom collections
This is a great book for younger adults written by a great author and her second book. Highly recommend this be purchased and read.
Takedown follows two middle-schoolers, Mikayla (Mickey) and Lev, both of whom are wrestlers. I don’t know much about the sport itself and couldn’t picture a lot of the moves the kids performed in the book, but the stand out themes for me were friendship and identity. Both kids grew so much by the end of the book, it made my heart very happy. Plus, I love reading about sensitive male characters and Lev is just the sweetest boy!
I was fortunate enough to snag an ARC, but it was so good, I had to buy my own copy. My 11-year-old son also read it, and he can't stop talking about it. Here is his review

"I wasn't sure at first that I liked it but as I read more and more I grew captivated especially during the tournaments as Mickey finally gets up to states I can easily support her. I loved the sad but happy ending and [ you can tell that Lev is very disturbed by injuries that cause blood in wrestling which really shows why he quit or might quit. (hide spoiler)] Although you might not feel this, I think it really brings out that girls are still being underestimated and that they're just as good as boys or even better. After I read it I realized that it is fantastic book and one of the best realistic fiction books I have ever read."
I knew that Laura Shovan's new book, just out, would be good. Her first novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, is marvelous and so creative. So now, Takedown, about wrestling? I have a nephew who wrestled and while I liked watching and rooting for him, it isn't a favorite sport. However, from the first two chapters, I was captured by the lives of Mikayla (Mickey) and Lev, two opposites, two who will be thrown together by their love of wrestling. Both are hanging out in their lives at the beginning of middle school; both are pre-teens. And the friendships each thought were set in cement begin to crumble. This pre-puberty time means change, and it's no different for these two. For most of the book, wrestling on a more competitive "travel" team fills each of their lives, along with family and school and friendships. Inside, Mikayla wishes her father would pay more attention to her own wrestling as he does for her two older brothers' wrestling. Inside, Lev wishes his older sister would pay more attention to him as she used to do.
These are only two of the troubles these two young middle-schoolers face. Mickey stays strong in her quest to be a great wrestler, but it's a fight often with unhappy consequences because she's a girl. Lev's nerves continue to be an inner struggle so he finds that writing and doodling in a notebook helps. His poetry is important, though he hesitates to share.
Laura beautifully lets Lev and Mickey share their thoughts in alternating chapters, each time making me want to find out more. What will Mickey do when she discovers her best friend Kenna wants to quit wrestling and move on to other fun in school, and with other friends? "Kenna studies my face. Now she has this secret life with a vocabulary I know nothing about. Until middle school started, we were always together. How different could we be after just a few weeks? A lot. I tell myself." What will Lev do when he discovers Mickey, a girl, is going to be his practice partner? "I follow Mickey to the gym. "My sister says you're thinking about quitting."/"What do you care?"/"You're good," I tell her. "For a first-year Gladiator, you're really good." Laura manages to help us find sympathy for both and to root for them as they navigate their lives that aren't so simple anymore.
The basic plot is there, making us readers ask what will happen to both these young people who are growing up and finding that what used to be isn't necessarily going to stay. These people in the lives of Lev and Mikayla are regular people who struggle in their own lives. From old friends to beloved family members, we come to care for them, too, and that makes a marvelous story of a few months in the lives of two middle schoolers. I'm very glad that Laura wrote about wrestling, and Lev and Mikayla, too!