Chess Rumble
A story in free verse about a troubled boy who learns to use his mind instead of his fists through the guidance of an unconventional mentor and the game of chess.
Three moves
is all it takes
to change the outcome
of the game.
In Marcus's world, battles are fought everyday-on the street, at home, and in school. Angered by his sister's death and his father's absence, and pushed to the brink by a bullying classmate, Marcus fights back with his fists.
One punch away from being kicked out of school and his home, Marcus encounters CM, an unlikely chess master who challenges him to fight his battles on the chess board. Guarded and distrusting, Marcus must endure more hard lessons before he can accept CM's help to regain control of his life.
Inspired by inner-city school chess enrichment programs, Chess Rumble explores the ways this strategic game empowers young people with the skills they need to anticipate and calculate their moves through life.
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"Marcus tells his story in street slang, in a conversational first-person voice. . .The acrylic black-and-white illustrations are particularly effective at capturing natural expressions and the concrete-gray inner-cityscape." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Chess Rumble works, and works well. Neri expertly captures Marcus's voice and delicately teases out his alternating vulnerability and rage. The cadence and emotion of the verse are masterfully echoed through Watson's expressive acrylic illustrations... This book will become a standby pick for reluctant readers, who will be pulled in before they know it by the story's quick pace and the authenticity of Marcus's voice and experience." -- School Library Journal
"In this strong debut, Marcus' authentic voice narrates in potent, free-verse poetry. With minimal, direct words, Neri makes clear, without overstating, how Marcus' sense of being misunderstood amplifies his frustrations and how, through chess, he learns to take responsibility for his feelings and actions. Watson effectively echoes each scene's mood in small gray-tone paintings that employ dramatic shading... Readers of all backgrounds will find themselves here, but this will have particular appeal among reluctant readers and young, inner-city teens." -- Booklist
Notable Books in the Language Arts - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
