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Synopsis
Describes the life of track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens, from his childhood in Alabama and his family's move to Cleveland to his athletic career which culminated in his ...
Children's Literature
Jesse Owens's gold medal winning success at the 1936 Berlin Olympics remains one of the most poignant stories of athletic achievement in modern history. Under the eyes of Germany's new chancellor, Adolph Hitler, Owens, an African-American, proved the fallacy of the Nazis' racial superiority propaganda. This bright, well-paced book for beginning readers is an excellent introduction to the life of this American hero. Children will also appreciate learning how Owens overcame adversity in his life, beating chronic illness while a youngster and adjusting to a difficult family move to Cleveland from his prior home in Alabama. There is much here for children to enjoy and relate to, including the author's crisp prose and the illustrator's artfully done pictures. Schools and libraries should take note of this excellent title and feature it prominently in their collections, especially for Black History Month. 2000, Lerner Publications Co., Ages 4 to 6, $19.93. Reviewer: Bruce Adelson—Children's Literature