The Ring
by Bobbie Pyron
Plagued by slipping grades and a budding criminal record, Mardie’s heading down a path of self-destruction she can’t seem to avoid. Unlike her perfect older brother Michael, who does everything right according to their father, Mardie can’t meet those high expectations. But when she discovers a girls’ boxing club at the gym, Mardie’s drawn in by the fighters’ fearlessness and strength. Having already lost her parents’ trust and shunned by her boyfriend and even her best friend, the ring is the only place left where no one judges her. Angry and hurt by the state of her life, Mardie can’t wait to start throwing punches. But her wise and patient trainer, Kitty, a former boxer who’s coached her share of troubled teen girls in the ring, shows Mardie that boxing isn’t just about fighting—it’s also about strategy and mental discipline—the things that make a fighter into a winner. Mardie begins to apply the lessons she’s learned in the ring to her battles at school and especially at home, where she finds she’s not the only one struggling for acceptance. And, as she trains for her upcoming championship bouts, Mardie hopes to find a way to
make her parents proud. Filled with exciting sports action, The Ring is an inspiring story of a girl learning to believe in herself.
Read What Writers Are Saying About The Ring:
“Fifteen-year-old Mardie is reeling from her dad’s expectations, her brother’s secret, her boyfriend’s pressure. Her only chance is to learn to box smart and come out punching. A hard-hitting first novel.”
—Robert Lipsyte, recipient of the 2001 ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award, and author of The Contender and One Fat Summer,
a NY Times Outstanding Book of the Year
and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Pub Date: November 2009