Knockout

In a brief prologue poem, Levi, the narrator of this middle-grade novel in verse, introduces himself as small but fast, smart but dumb, and notes that rearranging the letters of his name spells "live." Born extremely premature, Levi required a tracheostomy tube (a surgically placed breathing tube in the neck) as an infant and endured multiple surgeries, though he remembers none of it. Now entering seventh grade, he is short, thin, barely 60 pounds, and carries an inhaler, but he insists he is fine. His mother, Annie, and his much older brother, Timothy, who is nearly 24, keep him in a protective bubble of hand sanitizer, restricted activities, and monitoring. Levi feels increasingly restless and confined.

His best friend, Tam, a tall, athletic girl he has known since kindergarten, was also born premature and carries an inhaler but did not require a trach (short for tracheostomy tube). Her family does not impose the same restrictions. When they compare seventh-grade schedules, they share only one class. Every other weekend, Levi visits his father, who lives separately. When Dad arrives, the household tenses: Timothy goes stiff and Mom goes silent. Dad is Levi's physical opposite, giant and loud, but they share the same crooked smile. Over a meal, Dad asks if Levi has considered playing a sport. Mom has always forbidden contact sports, but Dad tells Levi he can do anything he wants and offers to pay, as long as they keep it from Mom.

Seventh grade begins, and Levi rides the bus for the first time, greeting everyone as a "man's man, ladies' man, man about town." Because he is too different to blend in, he controls the narrative by making people laugh. Mom suggests Chess Club, but after one session Levi stops attending and spends the time in his tree instead, telling Mom he still goes. At lunch, Tam introduces her new friend Kate, a cheerleader who serves as the school's falcon mascot. Levi is wary, sensing Kate as an intruder on his friendship with Tam.

While play-punching with Dad, Levi jokingly suggests boxing. Dad seizes the idea, calling Levi a natural "fly-fly-flyweight." At the gym, bigger kids mock Levi's scars, but he deflects with humor until they laugh. The coach teaches him the basics, and Levi discovers that hitting the bag clears his mind completely. He falls in love with the sport but keeps his excitement from Dad. Meanwhile, his lies multiply. From his tree, he spots Tam cheering for Kate instead of attending Chess Club. His breathing worsens, but he hides it. Timothy announces plans for medical school and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Levi discovers Timothy's journal on the kitchen counter and begins writing responses in the margins, creating a secret conversation that becomes the brothers' way of sharing feelings neither can say aloud.

Levi finds a battered chicken mascot costume in the school locker room and stashes it in a shed near his tree. At football games, he puts on the chicken head and disrupts Kate's falcon routine, chasing her onto the field while the crowd roars. He escalates, even mooning the crowd at one game. Meanwhile, Dad says he can only afford two boxing sessions a month. Levi attends extra sessions anyway, telling Coach that Dad will pay. When Dad discovers the bill, he is furious, but after seeing Levi shadowbox, his expression shifts to pride. They negotiate: Levi will work off the costs by cleaning the gym.

The chicken scheme collapses when Coach Ellison, the cheerleading coach, catches Levi returning the costume. He is forced to apologize to Kate and the entire school over the intercom and is banned from mascot tryouts. Kate slaps him in the hallway, and Tam walks away with Kate without a word.

At the boxing gym, Levi's accumulated fury erupts. He demolishes an opponent, but when Coach steps in to end the match, the opponent lands a hard punch to Levi's chest. Levi staggers out and collapses, smashing his head into a concrete wall. He wakes in the hospital with a concussion. Mom has learned everything: Levi attended Chess Club only once, has been boxing in secret, and was behind the mascot pranks. The doctors find concerning areas in Levi's airway and recommend he see his longtime specialist, Dr. Sawyer, in Cincinnati sooner than planned.

Mom tells Levi all trust is lost. He is put on brain rest: no books, screens, music, or visitors. Timothy writes an anguished journal entry revealing he chose a nearby college, worked nights, and sold his record collection to remain available for Levi. He accuses Levi of never seeing his sacrifices. Tam does not visit. Dad does not call. Levi spirals, wondering if anyone would notice if he disappeared.

Levi goes to Timothy's room and writes "I'm sorry" in the journal. Timothy writes back that he would do everything the same for Levi, and hugs him. Levi cries, realizing how desperately he needed this embrace. Timothy then gives Levi his own journal from that age. Reading it, Levi learns the full truth: Timothy stole a wallet and a car to help pay for Levi's medical expenses, went to juvenile detention, and never told Levi so he would not feel responsible.

Searching online, Levi discovers Xaviers, a boarding school that starts in eighth grade and has a boxing team. Mom says they cannot afford it, but Levi overhears Timothy arguing that their overprotection may be causing Levi's rebellion. Mom offers a deal: If Dr. Sawyer clears Levi in Cincinnati, they will visit Xaviers on the way home.

At the Cincinnati hospital, Dr. Sawyer lasers away scar tissue that had been restricting Levi's airway. The airway is now one of the largest and clearest he has ever seen, and he clears Levi for boxing and boarding school. Timothy surprises Levi at his bedside, having bought a plane ticket despite needing to study for the MCAT. They tour Xaviers on the way home. Levi spots a boxing ring in the gym and jumps in before anyone can stop him. Mom tells Levi that if he earns a scholarship and it does not cost the family anything, he can go, but he must never lie again.

Levi reconnects with Tam, who explains that Kate makes her happy in a romantic way, different from her friendship with Levi. Tam assures Levi there is room for both of them in her heart. Levi turns 13, Timothy passes the MCAT, and Dad announces he is moving to Portland, Oregon. Levi is devastated, hearing Dad's words as another escape from family.

Levi writes his Xaviers application, answering "Who am I?" and "How will I impact the world?" with the story of his year. The acceptance arrives with a partial scholarship, but a financial gap remains. Dad resists contributing, but Levi confronts him, saying Mom kept Levi alive and Timothy sacrificed his youth while Dad was absent. Dad eventually appears at the door with a wrinkled check. Before leaving for Portland, Dad asks for a hug. Levi gives him a "face hug," palms pressed against Dad's cheeks, and tells him that is all he gets until Dad comes back.

Mom, Timothy, and Levi drive to Xaviers. As fears flood Levi's mind, Mom holds him and whispers that everything will be all right. Unpacking, Levi finds Timothy's blue journal on top of his box. Inside, Timothy has written: "Levi, you are MY hero. And you always will be." Levi looks out the window at a huge tree blowing in the breeze and declares he is going to knock Xaviers out. In an epilogue poem mirroring the prologue, Levi answers the application's second question with confidence, vowing to impact the world with fast impulses, dancing feet, and strategy, winning round after round.