Wrestling Sturbridge [Mass Market Paperback]

Rich Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 1997

The critics' votes are in--Wrestling Sturbridge is a winner!  Now available in rack-sized paperback.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ben will be damned if he's going to stay in Sturbridge, Pennsylvania, when he gets out of high school. Work in the cinder block factory like everyone else? No way. He's also not going to let his friend Al win the state wrestling championship. Ben wants it more than Al does. Ben needs it more than Al does. Ben is going to win. Robert Cormier writes: "in a beautifully understated first novel, Rich Wallace brings the town and the teenager achingly alive as Ben wrestles not only his high school opponents, but with the big issues of life and love and the choices a teenager must make."

From Publishers Weekly

Anyone even remotely curious about small-town America need look no further than this exemplary first novel. Wallace's clipped, gently sardonic prose captures it all, from the red-faced former jocks in the wrestling booster club, to the teens with nothing to do but drink (a lot) and drive in an endless loop through town, to the Saturday night polka party on public TV. Narrator Ben, a high school senior, doesn't want to be like his father and so many others in Sturbridge, Pa., who after graduating get a job at the cinder block plant. Seemingly his only alternative is to become a state wrestling champion and thus win an athletic scholarship. But his way is firmly blocked by his buddy Al, who reigns supreme in their weight class, and Ben is relegated to the ignominy of being Al's practice partner and a benchwarmer during tournaments. Enter Kim, a Puerto Rican track enthusiast transplanted from New Jersey. Despite their close relationship, Kim won't put up with Ben's self-pitying, defeatist attitude. Wallace isn't writing a sports fairy story, so Ben doesn't achieve his goal; much more believably, he feels like a winner because he finally tries with all his might. The sports angle makes this a great "guy's" book, while the gripping narrative and feisty heroine will appeal to young women, too. A real winner. Ages 12-17.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (July 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679885552
• ISBN-13: 978-0679885559
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.4 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Health, Mind & Body > Sexuality

More About the Author

Rich Wallace is an award-winning author of many novels for kids and teenagers. Recent work includes the Kickers series of soccer novels for kids in grades 2-4; the middle-grade historical novel War and Watermelon, set in the summer of Woodstock; and Sports Camp, about an 11-year-old boy away at camp for the first time. Novels for teenagers including Wrestling Sturbridge, Playing Without the Ball, and Perpetual Check, among others. He is also the author of The Timbertoes feature in Highlights magazine. Visit his web site at www.richwallacebooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being the Best, April 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wrestling Sturbridge (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

A Review by Daniel

The main characters you will read about are Ben and Al. Ben and Al have been rivalries in the sport of wrestling. Both of them were a natural 135 pounds in weight. Ben is now a senior and knows that this is the year he is going to go all of the way to the state championship. But what does Ben have to do to achieve this goal? Will he actually beat the number one contender in high school wrestling? Everyone in the small town of Sturbridge thinks that Ben has a slim chance with Al. The only person thinks he is going to win is himself.

This book is actually one of the best books I have ever read. It was full of action and it always kept me on my toes. For an example, the author made it seem like you were actually watching the intense action of the crowd when a Sturbridge wrestler pinned a guy. Another thing I liked about the book is that it was very easy to follow. It wasn't a confusing book at all. You can always tell when Ben is either talking to his friends or just to himself. If you are a wrestler, you can kind of relate to the book because being out there on the mats is very intense and also can be devastating when you lose. It also talks about how many points takedowns are and all of the other rules of wrestling. One thing I didn't like about the book was the ending. Maybe to some people they might like the ending, but I kind of wanted to know what happened after Ben was done with high school. It just left me hanging there at the end.

I would definitely recommend this book to young adults. This book is very energetic, exciting, and suspenseful. The only reason why I wouldn't want you to read this book is because it has some language that some parents might not be to fond of it. In the other hand, if you do get the chance to read it, I would highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for any youth or high school wrestler, December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Riding Time (Paperback)

I read Wrestling Sturbridge, but this sounds like the same book (maybe an earlier edition) I have 4 sons who wrestle and anyone who loves the sport of wrestling knows the joys and heartaches. Especially for those athletes who are not the Varsity, A-Team, or Champions - it certainly teaches about the desire to win and wanting to have a spot on the team!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice wrestling book, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Wrestling Sturbridge (Mass Market Paperback)

A good story about a boy who decides to challenge his own best friend in order to achieve some of his personal goals. I liked it, but my personal favorite book about high school wrestling, more realistic about the sport and with higher stakes for the hero, is "Takedown."