Caged Warrior

Continuing to take on the challenge of reaching reluctant readers, Sitomer (The Downside of Being Up) creates a window into the brutal world of underground Mixed Martial Arts cage fighting in a rough Detroit neighborhood. Fifteen-year-old McCutcheon "Bam Bam" Daniels, a self-proclaimed "street mutt," has been a part of the cage-fighting world for years but has recently begun to question whether he has the "killa instinct" and to consider the long-term physical effects of the sport. McCutcheon fights for prize money to pay his father's debts to the Priests, a lethal local gang, and to take care of his five-year-old sister, Gemma. When McCutcheon's science teacher shows an interest in his future, suggesting that he attend charter school, a path out of cage fighting begins to materialize. Detailed fight scenes are unsettling but not gratuitous, while raw depictions of McCutcheon's poverty will have readers feeling his fear and pain. Sitomer examines the repercussions of unflinching dedication to a violent sport, while acknowledging the difficulties inherent in making a change that requires stepping into the unknown. Ages 10%E2%80%9314. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House. (May)