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Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The first memoir for young readers by sports legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with a talent for basketball, and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alcindor was able to transform and to become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
From a childhood made difficult by racism and prejudice to a record-smashing career on the basketball court as an adult, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's life was packed with ""coaches"" who taught him right from wrong and led him on the path to greatness. His parents, coaches Jack Donahue and John Wooden, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and many others played important roles in Abdul-Jabbar's life and sparked him to become an activist for social change and advancement. The inspiration from those around him, and his drive to find his own path in life, are highlighted in this personal and awe-inspiring journey.
Written especially for young readers, Becoming Kareem chronicles how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar become the icon and legend he is today, both on and off the court.
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"* "In our current moment when black athletes are joining the national confrontation with the nation's overwhelming legacy of racial injustice, few are better suited to provide context than Abdul-Jabbar.... Wrestling with what it means to be black, determining his own responsibility and capacity to respond to injustice, and becoming the "kindest, gentlest, smartest, lovingest version" of himself takes center stage in this retelling of the early part of his life. Like the author's unstoppable skyhook, this timely book is a clear score."
— Kirkus, starred review
Quotes
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“Tells his life story in an inspirational way…Abdul-Jabbar discusses his evolution as a Muslim and person of color in the public sphere, recounting with blistering honesty the backlash he faced while also relaying the resolve and confidence he needed to push past it.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar narrates his deeply engaging memoir…Though he’s not a professional narrator, his distinctive voice adds immense value to the listening experience. Abdul-Jabbar’s level, low-key delivery creates the sense that he’s chatting about his life in a companionable way…Pivotal moments of astonished happiness and piercing discomfort are all the more striking for being delivered with restrained intensity. This audiobook creates a portrait of an impressive life lived against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement.”
— AudioFile -
“This timely and unforgettable memoir…affords rich opportunities for classroom and book club discussions.”
— School Library Journal (starred review) -
“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is…as gifted an intellect as he is an athlete…It’s a tale by a wise elder—about basketball, sure, but also about cultural, political, social, and religious awakenings, big stuff narrated in a very accessible way.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“More than a play-by-play sports story, it’s an honest, powerful exposition of what it means to be black in white America, offering a de facto history of the civil rights movement.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Wrestling with what it means to be black, determining his own responsibility and capacity to respond to injustice, and becoming the ‘kindest, gentlest, smartest, lovingest version’ of himself takes center stage in this retelling of the early part of his life. Like the author’s unstoppable sky hook, this timely book is a clear score.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
* "More than a play-by-play sports story, it's an honest, powerful exposition of what it means to be black in white America, offering a de facto history of the civil rights movement.
— Booklist, starred review -
* "This timely and unforgettable memoir is essential for middle and high school collections, and affords rich opportunities for classroom and book club discussions.
— SLJ, starred review -
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is... as gifted an intellect as he is an athlete... It's a tale by a wise elder-- about basketball, sure, but also about cultural, political, social, and religious awakenings, big stuff narrated in a very accessible way.
— The New York Times Book Review
Awards
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A New York Times Pick for Children's Books about Black HIstory
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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SLJ Best Book, 2017
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Nominated for NAACP Image Award, 2017
Becoming Kareem Listener Reviews
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Deborah Harris, 3/20/2021
About the Authors
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. Since retiring, he has been an actor and basketball coach and has authored six books for adults and three for children, including What Color Is My World?, which won the NAACP award for Best Children’s Book. In 2012, he was selected as a US cultural ambassador, and in 2016 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award which recognizes exceptional meritorious service.
Raymond Obstfeld is an associate professor of English at Orange Coast College and the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including studies of the Italian Renaissance, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Moby-Dick.