The novel-in-verse, Punching The Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, is a book worthy of being read by the 7th graders in Arlington Public Schools. This book has a very emotional but heartfelt storyline. Punching the Air has many important life lessons in its theme, has great characters who could be used as role models for APS 7th graders, and also beautiful imagery and figurative language that really enhance the plot. Having an engaging story is key to having a good book for a middle school student to read. Therefore, I believe that Punching The Air should continue to be read by APS 7th graders. The theme of Punching The Air is perseverance and pushing through all of life’s challenges, the main character Amal faces many challenges day to day but nevertheless he …show more content…
This is a reflection of all the pain and hardships he has had to go through while in Juvie. He just wants to get out of there, and all of those emotions overwhelm him. Amal has to persevere and fight through those emotions. Second, on page 365, Amal finds out that his mural that he had worked so hard on was gone. This is really difficult for him because he worked so hard on it. Amal still perseveres and gets through and continues to create art. Anybody who reads this book can see how Amal has persevered throughout the entire book. The reader can The main character Amal in the book Punching The Air. I think he is a relatable character. First, Amal is very creative. Amal makes all sorts of art, for example on page 353 Amal is painting the mural in his prison. He describes all of the things he is painting on the mural. He is really showing his creativity through the act of creating his art. Second, Amal is very relatable because he is a good friend. For example, on page 325 when Amal sees Kadon and he feels protective over his friend saying “I sit up taller for both of us, until I have to leave him