Fighting Ruben Wolfe
Written by: Markus Zusak
Scholastic $8.99
Recommended for ages 14 and up

This young adult novel from the PUSH Fiction series published by Scholastic is great for older, reluctant readers. The content is fairly sophisticated yet the reading level is not difficult at all. There is a lot of dialogue which makes for a fairly effortless read.

Cameron Wolfe is the narrator while his older brother Ruben is the primary character. The brothers come from a blue-collar working class family. Their father has recently lost his job and the boys feel they should pitch in to help make ends meet. To do this they join an underground boxing ring. Ruben is the tough guy tallying up all of the wins while poor Cameron is not really cut out for a life of fighting and loses all but two of his matches.

Counter to other YA novels in which the characters are street-wise kids, this one shows the loving relationship between Cameron and Ruben. Although the brothers do not show their feelings toward eachother outwardly, their actions speak volumes. They are also extremely kind to their parents and other siblings, a refreshing view of these difficult years.

Keeping this secret from the rest of the world is a challenge for the brothers however they are able to do so until the last fight of the season when their manager pits the Wolfes against one another? Will it be the end of their friendship or will it make them stronger?

This novel is perfect for young adults (especially boys) who have a hard time finding novels that pique their interest yet are not too difficult reading-level wise. Look for other novels in the PUSH Fiction series as well. Markus Zusak has also written Getting the Girl.