Week 12 Prompt Response

Readers’ Advisory Matrix - Nonfiction

Title: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Author: Daniel James Brown

Publisher: Viking: New York, NY

Publication Date: 2013

Where is the book on the narrative continuum? □ Highly narrative (reads like fiction) □ A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose) □ Highly fact-based (has few or no narrative moments)

What is the subject of the book? The author follows the  journey of Joe Nantz and eight other members of the University of Washington rowing team who defeated the odds and represented their country at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

What type of book is it? A biography

Articulate appeal What is the pacing of the book?  Fast. Readers are quickly introduced to Joe before he starts his adventures with the university rowing team. Detailed but clear descriptions of rowing technique and shell construction slow the pace just enough for readers to more thoroughly enjoy the story line. Describe the characters of the book.  The book centers on one rower, Joe Nantz, who, abandoned by his family, struggles to build his self-esteem and make a life for himself. The other characters are profiled, but their personalities are largely developed through relationships with teammates and coaches. How does the story feel?  The story feels like an adventure. Joe’s difficult life compels readers to form an emotional attachment so that they want him and the team to succeed. Even though the ending may be known, the author manages to maintain a level of suspense with each setback and victory. What is the intent of the author?  Brown turns an historical event into a story of determination and optimism during the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. The author’s intent is to teach the value of perseverance in overcoming what may seem insurmountable odds. What is the focus of the story?  The story focuses on Joe Nantz’s character development as he overcomes a miserable youth, grueling training, and distrust of others. He and his teammates learn to sacrifice for each other in order to become part of a perfectly synchronized team. Does the language matter?  Yes. Brown provides detailed descriptions of the sport and boat craftsmanship that introduce readers to the hard work and precision the sport requires. By the end of the book, the audience is familiar enough with the terminology and rigors of rowing to fully appreciate the exciting conclusion. Is the setting important and well-described?  Yes. Brown evokes the dreary often grim atmosphere in rural Washington State during the Great Depression. “To fail at this rowing business would mean, at best, returning to a small bleak town on the Olympic Peninsula with nothing ahead of him but the prospect of living alone in a cold, empty, half-built house surviving as best he could on odd jobs, foraging for food, and maybe, if he was very lucky, finding another highway construction job with the Civilian Conservation Corps. At worst it would mean joining a long line of broken men standing outside a soup kitchen like the one down on Yesler Way” (Brown 13). Are there details, and if so, of what?  The  details are in-depth descriptions of the training and equipment involved in competitive rowing. Are there sufficient charts and other graph materials? Are they useful and clear?  There are no graphs, but there are period photographs that deliver a sense of immediacy and understanding to Joe’s plight and the team’s uphill battle. Photographs of Joe as a child with his family and of the other characters, the university, and surrounding area contribute a backdrop for the story line. The pictures from the races and Olympics greatly enhance readers’ participation in the characters’ experiences. Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?  Yes, all three. Not only are there facts about the sport of rowing, but readers learn about the economic and political turmoil of the time by following Joe’s experiences.

Why would a reader enjoy this book? 1.   Highly narrative                       2.    Characters                      3.   Learning/Experiencing

References

Brown, D. J. (2013). The boys in the boat: Nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. New York, NY: Viking.

Wyatt, N. (2007). The readers’ advisory guide for nonfiction. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.