Rating: 
Summary: INTENSE BUT GOOD
Review: As a high school teacher, I teach this book to my juniors. Or perhaps I should say we read and enjoy it together. Chris Crutcher uses humor and straight talk to present a variety of issues facing kids today, love, divorce, child abuse, managing anger, even finding out someone you care about is homosexual. I find I am able to discuss these issues with my students using the book as a springboard. One of my students said, "This is the best book I have ever read. The kids in the book talk like us and feel like us." Another student said she laughed out loud when reading it at home. The other reviews presented the plot, I just wanted you to know what my teens thought of the book. I will warn you there is a small amount of strong language in the book, if you are considering using it in the classroom or buying it for your teenager. I have read all of Crutcher's books, and feel he is one of the best young adult authors ever.
Rating: 
Summary: Ironman=Strong Issues
Review: As a high school teacher, I teach this book to my juniors. Or perhaps I should say we read and enjoy it together. Chris Crutcher uses humor and straight talk to present a variety of issues facing kids today, love, divorce, child abuse, managing anger, even finding out someone you care about is homosexual. I find I am able to discuss these issues with my students using the book as a springboard. One of my students said, "This is the best book I have ever read. The kids in the book talk like us and feel like us." Another student said she laughed out loud when reading it at home. The other reviews presented the plot, I just wanted you to know what my teens thought of the book. I will warn you there is a small amount of strong language in the book, if you are considering using it in the classroom or buying it for your teenager. I have read all of Crutcher's books, and feel he is one of the best young adult authors ever.
Rating: 
Summary: Ick.
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. I didnt want to read it at first because it didnt seem very interesting. When the book started to pick up i enjoyed reading it.I read it in 2 days when i wasnt in school. I think it has alot of moral values and lessons of relationships between people. Its also an exciting book; like him training, getting a girlfriend, struggles with his father and Ian Wyrack. Also about Mr.S i think i would have freaked out at first but then probably thought it through and not think of it much because its not my problem. He was smart to get over that part and move on with life being friends still. I liked Mr.Nak, he seemed like a weird but a nice and understanding man. He did seem to know what he was talking about most of the time and I wouldnt mind if I ever had a teacher like him leaving my decisions up to me and things like that.I would also like that too because I would be able to get things off my mind and know it wouldnt leak out to other people hearing it outside the group. I think they all ended up being pretty close to each other. It was nice of Shelly to offer to watch Elvis' brother and sister so he can get a job and make money for them. But overall I thought it was an awesome book. I loved reading it and would recommend it to people to read. Im not a big reader myself but I surprisingly enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book
Review: In the beginning i didn't want to read this book but after i got done reading it i wanted to read it over to catch anything i missed the first time, i'm not a person who reads alot much less read one more than once but this was a terriffic book. I reccomend it to everyone except to children because of the use of bad language.
Rating:
Summary: Ironman wins the gold for teenagers.
Review: The hardest part of reading Ironman is the narrative flow. The story begins with Beauregard Brewster or 'Beau' writing letters to his favorite talk show host, Larry King. Through it we gain insight into Beau's passion for training to compete in triathalons. In the letter he talks about his latest problem, yelling at his English teacher/football coach. This leads to him being put into Mr. Nak's anger management group with misfits. As we read along the story becomes clearer and focused. Beau's parents are divorced, but his father still has a negative effect in his life becoming an adult. We discover Beau's unwillingness to bend under his father's harsh parenting techniques. Beau is truly a sympathetic character many teens can identify with. In anger management, Beau forms a relationship with Shelly, a future American Gladiator. The anger management group of misfits argue and bond over their personal demons representing many problems teen face. Through it all Mr. Nak teaches about allowing for mercy in even the saddest tragedies. Eventually the story comes to a climax as Beau must compete against the odds in a triathalon. However, his father's involvement may stack the odds even further against him. Crutcher's excellent creation of antagonists pressures and helps bring out the shining best in his protagonists.
A spectacular story about friendship, compassion and the Stotan way of determination.
Rating:
Summary: Ironman wins the gold for teenagers
Review: The hardest part to get past in most books written by Chris Crutcher is the narrative flow. Ironman begins with the main character, Beauregard Brewster or Beau, writing a letter to his favorite talkshow personality, Larry King. In it we see insight into his personality and his passion for triathlons. As we read on we learn he is being sent to an anger management class due to an altercation with the hard as nails football coach; an embodiment of all he loathe's in his own father. There Beau meets Mr. Nak, who presides over the troubled anger management group. And there he finds himself surrounded by other angry teenagers who have been dealt a harsh life. Further into the story, we discover Beau is labeled a quitter by the school, coaches and his own father; a write-off for almost all those involved with competitive sports. Ironically, Beau's past shows his unwillingness to bend to his father; who seems to believe crushing the son's spirit is an appropriate parenting technique. Crutcher succeeds in developing a truly sympathetic underdog character. Beau's journey through anger managerment is an amazing look into personal demons some teens face. As the characters in anger management develop, Beau begins a relationship with Shelly, a future American Gladiator and an anger management group veteran.
Eventually things come to a head when Beau has to compete in a triathalon where the odds are stacked against him. Worse yet, his father conspires with his opponents to completely crush his spirit. Some people may misunderstand and call antagonists too two-dimensional, it follows Crutcher's "pull no punches" antagonism to bring out the shining best in the protagonists.
Through it all, Mr. Nak teaches about finding mercy in the hardest tradegies of life. A spectacular story with many themes of friendship, compassion, and determination of true Stotans!
Rating:
Summary: Ironman wins the gold for teenagers
Review: The hardest part to get past in most books written by Chris Crutcher is the narrative flow. Ironman begins with the main character, Beauregard Brewster or Beau, writing a letter to his favorite talkshow personality, Larry King. In it we see insight into his personality and his passion for triathlons. As we read on we learn he is being sent to an anger management class due to an altercation with the hard as nails football coach; an embodiment of all he loathe's in his own father. There Beau meets Mr. Nak, who presides over the troubled anger management group. And there he finds himself surrounded by other angry teenagers who have been dealt a harsh life. Further into the story, we discover Beau is labeled a quitter by the school, coaches and his own father; a write-off for almost all those involved with competitive sports. Ironically, Beau's past shows his unwillingness to bend to his father; who seems to believe crushing the son's spirit is an appropriate parenting technique. Crutcher succeeds in developing a truly sympathetic underdog character. Beau's journey through anger managerment is an amazing look into personal demons some teens face. As the characters in anger management develop, Beau begins a relationship with Shelly, a future American Gladiator and an anger management group veteran.
Eventually things come to a head when Beau has to compete in a triathalon where the odds are stacked against him. Worse yet, his father conspires with his opponents to completely crush his spirit. Some people may misunderstand and call antagonists too two-dimensional, it follows Crutcher's "pull no punches" antagonism to bring out the shining best in the protagonists.
Through it all, Mr. Nak teaches about finding mercy in the hardest tradegies of life. A spectacular story with many themes of friendship, compassion, and determination of true Stotans!
Rating:
Summary: For teens who have had problems and overcome them...
Review: This book, as many people have stated, is about teen angst and a young man training for a modified triathalon. Bo is the young man in this book and the books starts with him telling his coach to take a flying leap (in not so many words!). For his actions he's told he has to attend Mr. Naks anger management class every morning. At first he thinks this is a bunch of losers, but over time he begins to think differently of them. Overall a great book. If you've read Stotan by Crutcher you'll notice some characters from that book in this book. I enjoyed seeing what happened to one of the characters in Stotan. I'll be looking for another Crutcher book shortly!
Rating:
Summary: Ironman
Review: This is an Increadible book that deals with teen problems along with finding ways to deal with them. It's characters deal with backstabbing, Love and learn about the powerful bonds of true friendship that are so very rare and wonderful in the world today. It is a terrific book that I would recommend to people that like teen issue books, books that show a lot of feeling.
Rating:
Summary: Ironman: by Chris Crutcher
Review: Title: Ironman
Author: Chris Crutcher
Classification: Young Adult
Plot: Bo, who is the main character, is having trouble with his family and he is anger managment, which is a class to help him with his anger problems. While in anger managment he meets a girl named Shelly who completely changes his life. He is traning to be in Yukon Jacks, a triatholon race, and is trying to beat his competition Wyrack.
Comparison: This book is kind of like "Stotan" It has basically the same genre. In each of the books schools have a group of kids competing is some sort of sporting event. The characters in both books went to a big race to compete in was swimming or a triatholon. In "Ironman" Bo writes to Larry King, a tv host, telling him what is going on in his life or the problems that he is facing.
Personal Reaction: This book, "Ironman," really touched me. It just shows the different life styles people live in. Such as Bo's. His parents are divorced, he is anger managment,he has problems with his dad, and also has trouble getting along with friends at school. Shelly, who is Bo's girlfriend cares for him. Bo has never really had anyone this close to him before. It touches me because just one person completley changed the way he looks at things. I think because of Shelly Bo continued and worked really hard to compete in Yukon Jacks. On page 165 shelly, Bo's girlfriend is giving Bo his valentine she said "She had never considered loving anybody before....." To me that is showing how much Shelly really cares for Bo, and how important he is in her life. Those words on the card could have changed the way he looks at life. He realized that there is someone that really cares for him. To me this book his very touching.
Reaction: This book is a great book. I loved it. It relates to some kids that I know. Some people though could get offended because it is about someone that is anger managment, and this kid that is having trouble with his dad. The language at time is pretty horific which could potentionally be a draw back.
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