Most Popular Books by Robert Sharenow

The Invention of Hugo Cabret meets True Grit in this heartfelt novel of resilience, hope, and discovering a family where you least expect it, from award-winning author Robert Sharenow. At the dawn of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants are arriving in the promised land of New York City. Twelve-year-old Sarah has always dreamed of America, a land of freedom and possibility. In her small village she stares at a postcard of the Statue of Liberty and imagines the Lady beckoning to her. When Sarah and her mother finally journey across the Atlantic, though, tragedy strikes—and Sarah finds herself being sent back before she even sets foot in the country. Yet just as Sarah is ushered onto the boat that will send her away from the land of her dreams, she makes a life-or-death decision. She daringly jumps off the back of the boat and swims as hard as she can toward the Lady''s island and a new life. Her leap of faith leads her to an unbelievable hiding place: the Statue of Liberty itself. Now Sarah must find a way to Manhattan while avoiding the night watchman and scavenging enough food to survive. When a surprising ally helps bring her to the city, Sarah finds herself facing new dangers and a life on her own. Will she ever find a true home in America?

Sydney Taylor Award-winning novel Berlin Boxing Club is loosely inspired by the true story of boxer Max Schmeling''s experiences following Kristallnacht. Publishers Weekly called it "a masterful historical novel" in a starred review. Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew; after all, he''s never even been in a synagogue. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin don''t care that Karl''s family doesn''t practice religion. Demoralized by their attacks against a heritage he doesn''t accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth. Then Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German hero, makes a deal with Karl''s father to give Karl boxing lessons. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself. But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: family protector. And as Max''s fame forces him to associate with Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero''s sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his boxing dreams with his obligation to keep his family out of harm''s way? Includes an author''s note and sources page detailing the factual inspirations behind the novel.

Share this "harrowing and painfully honest historical novel"* at home or in the classroom. Through this "extraordinary" debut effort from the Sydney Taylor Award winner Robert Sharenow, readers will explore how "ingrained prejudices—whether acted upon or not—help destroy lives and shatter a community."** In 1960 New Orleans, thirteen-year-old Louise is pulled out of class by her mother to protest court-ordered integration of her school. Louise’s mother is one of the jeering “Cheerleaders.” Each morning the Cheerleaders gather at the school to harass the school''s first black student, six-year-old Ruby Bridges, as she enters the building. After a mysterious man from New York named Morgan arrives in town and takes up residence in the family''s crumbling boarding house, Louise''s acceptance of "the way things are" begins to crumble. Through conversations with Morgan and firsthand observations, Louise begins to wonder about the morality of the Cheerleaders’ activities—and everything Louise thinks she knows about her mother, her world, and herself will change. In a starred review, Booklist commented: "Readers will be held fast by the history told from the inside as adult Louise remembers the vicious role of ordinary people." *School Library Journal (starred review) ; **Chicago Tribune

A adolescência é uma fase difícil: o corpo muda; os olhos do mundo parecem voltados, inquisidores, para você; constrangimentos diversos; medo em não ser aceito em grupo; vergonha dos pais; dificuldade em compreender suas origens, construir sua identidade, assumir quem é de fato. Tribulações estas passadas nos anos 1930, na Alemanha, por Karl Stern, jovem que nunca se pensou judeu, apesar das raízes, e que tem no boxe a oportunidade perfeita para se redescobrir e proteger sua família da cruel perseguição nazista em O clube de boxe de Berlim, vibrante e emocionante romance do premiado escritor e executivo de TV Robert Sharenow. Criado por um pai ateu e uma mãe agnóstica, o protagonista de 14 anos jamais frequentara uma sinagoga — sabia do sangue que corria em suas veias, mas não se via como judeu. Para a Matilha de Lobos, um clube nacional-socialista improvisado por três rapazes valentões, sua ascendência não passou despercebida pelos corredores do Ginásio Holstein. Antissemita como Adolf Hitler, que chegara ao poder no ano anterior, em 1933, o trio humilhou e surrou Karl impiedosamente. Nocaute no primeiro round. Com seu anonimato religioso sob risco, a expansão do ideal nazista e as crescentes — e cada vez mais comuns — retaliações contra os "inimigos do regime", Karl teria que se preocupar mais em se precaver de futuros ataques e perseguições do que em formas de ganhar peso, livrar-se da acne, namorar sua vizinha, Greta, ou a situação financeira do pai, Sigmund Stern. Inspirado nos acontecimentos devastadores que antecederam o Holocausto e na história real do resgate de dois garotos judeus na Kristallnacht pelo boxer Max Schmeling, o escritor Robert Sharenow concebeu um romance de formação que mescla historicidade com emoção. Uma leitura, enfim, que ultrapassa a mera fruição e convida o leitor a refletir sobre questões como racismo, intolerância e violência que foram motrizes das atrocidades nazistas na Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Una grande storia di persecuzione, riscatto e amore, ambientata a Berlino negli anni ''30.