Opening with the Biyarslanov family’s flight from Chechnya in a sequence that could be straight out of a movie, the book draws the reader’s attention almost immediately....A sure hit for readers looking for a sports biography or a story of triumphing over difficulties.
This is a true story, and also a very exciting one. My favourite character in this book is...Arthur, of course! And my favourite part of this book is when Arthur faced Zsolt, another boxing champion, for the first time. That was a really exciting part...I give this book FIVE STARS ‘cause it was entertaining the whole entire time. I recommend this book to kids who want to be athletes and boxers when they’re older, and kids who like action stories and sports.
Super Book Boy for Kids' Book Buzz
[Next Round is] a good read, approximately 104 pages in total. It’s got very sharp black and white pictures with a brilliant, colour photo-essay in the middle... It tells you a lot about Arthur, who’s very charismatic, but also a quiet kind of guy who works extremely hard… As we all know, there’s not much coverage of Canadian athletes, much less Canadian boxers, so I think this book is a brilliant, brilliant play…good on you John Spray, good on you Arthur Biyarslanov…This book is a great promotional item and a fantastic idea.
The DO Boxing Show Dameon Okposio
This is a book by John Spray on Arthur Biyarslanov and it's about the next round, ironically.... This book chronicles the story of him coming from Chechnya via Azerbaijan and to Halifax in 2005 where the family was met by the refugee relocation committee of the UN, put up for 5 days there and ultimately on to Toronto. A decade later, a gold medallist at the Pan American Games and now the 21year old has designs on a championship here in Rio.
CBC Television Ron MacLean
Author John Spray is no stranger to either writing or boxing.
As we look forward to the opening of the Summer Olympics I wanted to share this story of one of our young athletes, whose journey has been a most difficult one…John Spray writes the story of the Chechen Wolf, a young Muslim refugee from Chechnya, whose grit and determination won him a gold medal in the 2015 Pan Am Games as a member of Canada's boxing team. It was Canada's first gold medal in boxing in forty years. In interviews with Arthur Biyarslanov, Mr. Spray heard stories of his early life, their escape from Russia, the family's life in a refugee camp in Azerbaijan, and finally a new life in Canada ... all before he was nine years old.
…it’s John Spray’s writing that will capture Arthur Biyarslanov’s story better than any colour commentator could ever hope to relay as the boxer reaches for gold at this year’s Olympics. John Spray…tells Biyarslanov’s story as the harrowing action story that it is. From witnessing at age three the massacre by Russian soldiers of Chechens desperately attempting to flee for Azerbaijan, to the family’s escape across the cold water of the Yujniy Gerzel River into Dagestan and Arthur’s regular conflicts with the frightening old Azerbaijani woman whose fruit tree he climbs and his contentious boxing relationship with Zsolt…a gripping story whose next chapter is still untold.
CanLit for LittleCanadians
John Spray...tells the story of 20-year-old boxer Arthur Biyarslanov, who overcame a turbulent childhood, fleeing war-torn Chechnya when he was three, spending years as a refugee in Azerbaijan before arriving in Canada when he was nine, learning two new languages along the way.
Opening with the Biyarslanov family’s flight from Chechnya in a sequence that could be straight out of a movie, the book draws the reader’s attention almost immediately....A sure hit for readers looking for a sports biography or a story of triumphing over difficulties.
07/01/2016 Gr 4–8—An intense opening scene: on one side of a bridge, hardened Russian soldiers, on the other, a young Arthur Biyarslanov with his family and 120 other Chechen refugees, hoping to cross through Dagestan to reach Azerbaijan. This biography follows the future Pan-Am Gold Medalist and Olympic hopeful as he fled Chechnya; sought refuge in Baku, Azerbaijan; and finally settled in Toronto, Canada. A gifted athlete, Biyarslanov helped to settle this tumultuous childhood by focusing on sports—first soccer, then boxing. This title has the same emphasis, telling the stories of his athletic achievements in simple, easy to read prose. Spray does well to provide context for young Biyarslanov's reputation as the "Chechen Wolf," a fearless fighter (his at-times aggressive behavior is attributed to his father's death, his experience with the Russian soldiers, and being forced into poverty). Larger, outside conflicts (such as why he, his family, and others were forced to leave Chechnya) are glossed over. Ending chapters explore Biyarslanov's rivalry with Zsolt Daranyi Jr., his decision to pursue boxing full-time, and his performance in the Pan-Am Games, with a look toward the upcoming Olympics and the future. VERDICT This selection holds a lot of appeal for young sports fans, and its accessible and straightforward storytelling will make it especially tempting to reluctant readers.—Bobbi Parry, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, LA
About Next Round: A Young Athlete's Journey to Gold
2017 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award finalist
2017 Stacked Books "Monthly Giving: International Refugee Assistance Program" selection
2017 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens selection
2016 Resource Links "The Year's Best 2016"
2016 CBC Books "15 books for young readers during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games" selection
"This is a book by John Spray on Arthur Biyarslanov and it's about the next round, ironically....This book chronicles the story of him coming from Chechnya via Azerbaijan and to Halifax in 2005 where the family was met by the refugee relocation committee of the UN, put up for 5 days there and ultimately on to Toronto. A decade later, a gold medallist at the Pan American Games and now the 21year old has designs on a championship here in Rio."—Ron MacLean, CBC Television
"Opening with the Biyarslanov family's flight from Chechnya in a sequence that could be straight out of a movie, the book draws the reader’s attention almost immediately....A sure hit for readers looking for a sports biography or a story of triumphing over difficulties."—Booklist
"This selection holds a lot of appeal for young sports fans, and its accessible and straightforward storytelling will make it especially tempting to reluctant readers."—School Library Journal
"Readers will marvel at Biyarslanov's resilience and pluck."—Kirkus Reviews
"John Spray...tells the story of 20-year-old boxer Arthur Biyarslanov, who overcame a turbulent childhood, fleeing war-torn Chechnya when he was three, spending years as a refugee in Azerbaijan before arriving in Canada when he was nine, learning two new languages along the way."—Quill & Quire
"This is a true story, and also a very exciting one. My favourite character in this book is...Arthur, of course! And my favourite part of this book is when Arthur faced Zsolt, another boxing champion, for the first time. That was a really exciting part...I give this book FIVE STARS 'cause it was entertaining the whole entire time. I recommend this book to kids who want to be athletes and boxers when they’re older, and kids who like action stories and sports."—Super Book Boy for Kids' BookBuzz
"[Next Round is] a good read, approximately 104 pages in total. It's got very sharp black and white pictures with a brilliant, colour photo-essay in the middle...It tells you a lot about Arthur, who's very charismatic, but also a quiet kind of guy who works extremely hard...As we all know, there's not much coverage of Canadian athletes, much less Canadian boxers, so I think this book is a brilliant, brilliant play...good on you John Spray, good on you Arthur Biyarslanov...This book is a great promotional item and a fantastic idea."—Dameon Okposio, The DO Boxing Show
"As we look forward to the opening of the Summer Olympics I wanted to share this story of one of our young athletes, whose journey has been a most difficult one...John Spray writes the story of the Chechen Wolf, a young Muslim refugee from Chechnya, whose grit and determination won him a gold medal in the 2015 Pan Am Games as a member of Canada's boxing team. It was Canada's first gold medal in boxing in forty years. In interviews with Arthur Biyarslanov, Mr. Spray heard stories of his early life, their escape from Russia, the family's life in a refugee camp in Azerbaijan, and finally a new life in Canada...all before he was nine years old."—Sal's Fiction Addiction
"[I]t's John Spray's writing that will capture Arthur Biyarslanov’s story better than any colour commentator could ever hope to relay as the boxer reaches for gold at this year's Olympics. John Spray...tells Biyarslanov's story as the harrowing action story that it is. From witnessing at age three the massacre by Russian soldiers of Chechens desperately attempting to flee for Azerbaijan, to the family's escape across the cold water of the Yujniy Gerzel River into Dagestan and Arthur's regular conflicts with the frightening old Azerbaijani woman whose fruit tree he climbs and his contentious boxing relationship with Zsolt...a gripping story whose next chapter is still untold."—CanLit for LittleCanadians
"John Spray writes an engaging story that pulls us in from the first page...Readers will find themselves cheering for Arthur as he faces one obstacle after another and will enjoy the personal photos that give us an even closer glimpse into the life of this young, ambitious athlete. The book also contains a glossary of soccer and boxing terms...[A] must read for youngsters who are looking for inspiration..."—Canadian Children's Book News
"Author John Spray is no stranger to either writing or boxing."—Resource Links
2016-05-18 No one chooses to be a refugee from a war-torn homeland, but if that is the hand you are dealt, try Arthur Biyarslanov's approach.Biyarslanov was born in Chechnya in 1995, as Chechen separatists waged their grindingly endless civil war against Russia. When he was 3, the family headed south to Azerbaijan. Spray captures little glimpses of Arthur's young life—stealing fruit from the tree of his next-door neighbor and the old lady who gives him a talisman (a dog biscuit) to ward off jinni—as well as the sadness, lack of language, deprivation, and fear. The story here is of Arthur's gradual rise in the world of sports, first in Azerbaijan and then after the family moved to Toronto, Canada. Spray conjures the strange settings refugees and immigrants find themselves in. "Hey little man, whatchoo lookin' at anyhow?" asks a tall Jamaican teenage neighbor when Arthur lands in Toronto's St. James Town projects. "I am no to English," Arthur replies. "All be cool. I be no English too...is no big thang." (Dialogue is not specifically sourced, but a teeny note on the copyright page indicates that Spray relies on extensive interviews.) Arthur is a whiz at soccer but chooses boxing, where he is even whizzier, rising from his first real bout at 12 to the Canadian Olympic team. Readers will marvel at Biyarslanov's resilience and pluck. (Biography. 10-14)