Film and Book Reviews

Dmitriy Salita Hopes to Get Kids Reading With New Book

Salita Book

B is for Boxing

Dmitriy Salita Hopes to Get Kids Reading With New Book

On Wednesday, November 23, 2016, promoter Dmitriy Salita and his older brother Michael took a packed public library full of first graders on read-along to their new children’s book B is for Boxing right before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Salita Brothers co-authored the illustration book with hall of fame boxing publicist Bill Caplan in an effort to give children fun lessons on boxing using the alphabet.

While the younger Salita read aloud to the dozens of children looking up in excitement, Junior welterweight prospect Bakhtiyar Eyubov put on a pair of boxing gloves and demonstrated the punches outlined in the book. Eyubov (11-0, 10 KOs), fresh off his big win over Karim Mayfield on ShoBox, invited some of the school children to come up and shadow box with him.

B is for Boxing allows children to learn the alphabet, how to spell and associate the words which are commonplace in the sport of boxing. Using beautiful illustration by Elena Stekacheva, the images come to life as each new letter is introduced followed by a corresponding word. A fun letter is C which in the book stands for “Champion.”

After a brief history of the origin of the word, which is derived from the Latin word campionem for gladiator or fighter, the book reveals that the sport of boxing has 17 different weight divisions and the best boxer in each has the right to be recognized as a champion.

Another fun letter is G, which stands for Golden Gloves, which Salita won in 2001 and was recognized with the Sugar Ray Robinson Award given to the best fighter of the tournament.

In addition to the Golden Gloves, the book wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t state that the letter G also stands for none other than Gennady Golovkin.

“I wanted to write this book with my brother Michael and with Bill because kids need a head start in learning how to read,” said the younger Salita.

“What better way to learn to read than with these wonderful pictures that helps get the child thinking.”

With over 50 years of experience working in boxing representing the likes of George Foreman and Oscar De La Hoya, Caplan has seen it all which is why the Salitas were able to tap into his extensive knowledge of boxing factoids.

“With five children, nine grand children and one three-year-old great grandson, I have found a wonderful way to connect with our great grandson,” writes Caplan in the forward.

“Our little boy is learning the alphabet and reading and spelling at a much earlier age than my other children.”

Salita’s older brother Michael teaches special education in New York City and knows firsthand the difficulties children have with learning to read.

“This book is so important to me because we need to get kids reading at an early age to help them with other subjects as they grow older,” said Salita.

“I am so happy all these kids showed up today to see my brother read to them and to see Bakhtyar perform.”

B is for Boxing also received a ringing endorsement from George Foreman, who is also highlighted in the book under the letter F.

B is for Boxing is an interesting book and a fun way to interact with young children, teaching them the alphabet and how to read,” writes Foreman in the book.

Click here to purchase B is for Boxing from Amazon.

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