All-American

Some readers will find All American by John R. Tunis to be somewhat dated but I think it holds up well to modern scrutiny. It tells the story of football star Ronald Perry who is involved in an anti-Semitic incident at his private school and after some soul-searching decides to transfer to the local public high-school. Once there he encounters a co-educational environment and all the challenges that pretty girls pose for a sports star. Eventually he finds acceptance among his former rivals and h

Some readers will find All American by John R. Tunis to be somewhat dated but I think it holds up well to modern scrutiny. It tells the story of football star Ronald Perry who is involved in an anti-Semitic incident at his private school and after some soul-searching decides to transfer to the local public high-school. Once there he encounters a co-educational environment and all the challenges that pretty girls pose for a sports star. Eventually he finds acceptance among his former rivals and has a chance to make up for his previous behavior when the school faces segregation and racism in their quest for a football championship.

As I said earlier the style of Tunis might not translate perfectly to young readers today but the message still resonates. Athletics is a chance for true meritocracy where the best player wins regardless of race, creed, or color. Tunis was a strong voice for such ideas in the 1940’s when they were not as acceptable as they are today.