This book is a biography of Mexican-american sports legend, Oscar De la Hoya. Many of my current and former students are boxing fans and would find this biography something they would actually read. Although written for a middle school aged student, I can see this book being appealing to some high school students as well. The storyline tells a good “true story” rather than just reciting historical facts. The book concetrates on the sports aspect, however, and does not delve into his personal life or growing up. It is strictly a sports biography with personal stories only brought in in reference to his boxing career.
The author writes in a casual, informal style. The narrative is easy to follow, and it guides the reader through the major events of the rise of the boxing legend. The story is a biographer’s telling of another’s person’s life. The reader gets the feeling that the thoughts and feelings of De la Hoya are authentic, even though this is not an autobiography. The photos are only in black and white which is a drawback for today’s technological saavy children. (They don’t even like to watch black and white academic films or movies!) ( )