Women Olympic Champions

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-This well-organized and thoroughly researched book begins with a brief but well-written foreword and an even better introduction. It explains that Aaseng's two main factors in selecting the featured athletes were raw performance at a level far above their predecessors and competitors, and a lasting impact on their event or on the sporting world in general. An attempt was also made to include a cross section of time periods, nations, and events. The first chapter discusses women's struggle for acceptance in the Olympics and gives a brief history of their participation. The athletes profiled are Sonja Henie, the 1920s Norwegian figure skater; Babe Didrikson, the 1930s American track-and-field champ; Fanny Blankers-Koen, the 1940s Dutch track-and-field athlete; Dawn Fraser, the 1960s Australian swimmer; Lydia Skoblikova, a Soviet speed skater; Nadia Comaneci, a Romanian gymnast of the 1970s; and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, an American track-and-field athlete in the 1980s and 1990s. A winner.-Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.